Collision of two Hopfions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the collision dynamics of two Hopfions, exploring how their superposition affects electromagnetic field topology, energy distribution, and helicity exchange, revealing controllable topological and energetic properties.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of Hopfion collisions, demonstrating how angular momentum influences electromagnetic topology and energy flow, with insights into helicity exchange mechanisms.

Findings

Superposition of Hopfions alters electric and magnetic field line topology.

Angular momentum controls the topology and energy distribution of the fields.

Helicity exchange explains different behaviors when angular momentum is reversed.

Abstract

We study the collision of two hopfions or Hopf-Ra\~nada electromagnetic fields. The superposition of two of such fields, travelling in opposite directions, yields different topology for the electric and magnetic field lines. Controlling the angular momentum of such fields, we can control the topology of the flow associated to the field lines, and the energy distribution. The concept of electromagnetic helicity and the exchange between its magnetic and electric components are used to explain the different behaviours observed when the angular momentum is reversed.