3D configuration of the field lines of the emerging field (blue and red) and the ambient field (white). The colored contours show the photospheric distribution of B_z (yellow is positive and blue is negative). The arrows show the direction of the fieldlines. Three cases are shown: oblique with Φ₁ = 30 (left), vertical with Φ₁ = 90 (middle) and oblique with Φ₁ = 150 (right). The three panels have been chosen to display an illustration of the reconnection between emerging and ambient field lines. Times are different, but they correspond to a similar stage of evolution of the system in each experiment.