Interaction and merging of two sinistral filaments

In this paper, we report the interaction and subsequent merging of two sinistral filaments (F1 and F2) occurring at the boundary of AR 9720 on 2001 December 6. The two filaments were close and nearly perpendicular to each other. The interaction occurred after F1 was erupted and the eruption was impeded by a more extended filament channel (FC) standing in the way, in which F2 was embedded. The erupted material ran into FC along its axis, causing F1 and F2 to merge into a single structure that subsequently underwent a large-amplitude to-and-fro motion. A significant plasma heating process was observed in the merging process, making the mixed material largely disappear from the Hα passband, but appear in Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope 195 Å images for a while. These observations can serve as strong evidence of merging reconnection between the two colliding magnetic structures. A new sinistral filament was formed along FC after the cooling of the merged and heated material. No coronal mass ejection was observed to be associated with the event; though, the eruption was accompanied by a two-ribbon flare with a separation motion, indicating that the eruption had failed. This event shows that, in addition to overlying magnetic fields, such an interaction is an effective restraint to make a filament eruption fail in this way.