Aims. The response of the solar coronal magnetic field tosmall-scale photospheric boundary motions including the possibleformation of current sheets via the Parker scenario is one of openquestions of solar physics. Here we address the problem via a numericalsimulation. Methods. The three-dimensional evolution of a braided magneticfield which is initially close to a force-free state is followed usinga resistive MHD code. Results. A long-wavelength instability takes place and leads tothe formation of two thin current layers. Magnetic reconnection occursacross the current sheets with three-dimensional features shown,including an elliptic magnetic field structure about the reconnectionsite, and results in an untwisting of the global field structure. Key words: magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) - plasmas - Sun: corona - magnetic fields
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