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M. G. Linton, R. B. Dahlburg, S. K. Antiochos (Naval Research Laboratory)
The interaction and reconnection of magnetic flux tubes in the solar atmosphere may be the underlying energy release mechanism in some types of flares and coronal mass ejections. To study this mechanism, we present 3-D MHD simulations of reconnection due to the collision of two orthogonal, twisted flux tubes. For identical tubes there exist four possible interaction configurations. For the optimal reconnection configuration, where the field lines in the reconnection region are initially antiparallel, the flux tubes tunnel. For the intermediate cases where these field lines are initially orthogonal, the tubes reconnect to form two new flux tubes. Finally for the case where these field lines are initially parallel, the two tubes bounce and do not reconnect. We discuss the implications of these results for flux tube interactions in the solar atmosphere, in particular the implications for coronal mass ejection initiation, and for compact flares.
This work is supported by an NRC/NRL postdoctoral grant and by a grant of time on the DoD HPC program.