Reconnection of Twisted Flux Tubes as a Function of Contact Angle

Abstract

The collision and reconnection of magnetic Ñux tubes in the solar corona has been proposed as a mechanism for solar Ñares and in some cases as a model for coronal mass ejections. We study this process by simulating the collision of pairs of twisted Ñux tubes with a massively parallel, collocation, viscoresistive, magnetohydrodynamic code using up to 256]256]256 Fourier modes. Our aim is to investigate the energy release and possible global topological changes that can occur in Ñux-tube recon- nection. We have performed a number of simulations for di†erent angles between the colliding Ñux tubes and for either co- or counterhelicity Ñux tubes. We Ðnd the following four classes of interaction: (1) bounce (no appreciable reconnection), (2) merge, (3) slingshot (the most efficient reconnection), and (4) tunnel (a double reconnection). We will describe these four classes of Ñux-tube reconnection and discuss in what range of parameter space each class occurs and the implications our results have for models of Ñares and coronal mass ejections.