title: Flux rope dynamics: experimental study of bouncing and merging.
abstract: We show experimentally for the first time that two mutually attracting flux ropes may bounce back instead of merging together, leading to a variety of dynamics not expected from a two-dimensional model. Attraction forces due to flux rope currents compete with repulsion from field line bending of in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields and elastic plasma compression. Bouncing dynamics occurs if the line-bending force due to an out-of-plane field dominates. Otherwise, the ropes merge. Further reduction in the field line-bending force results in violently erratic magnetic states.
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop E526, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Intrator
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dorf
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sears
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Furno
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lapenta