Interaction of spatially overlapping standing electromagnetic solitons in plasmas

► We investigate the interaction between two spatially overlapping non-drifting electromagnetic solitons of the relativistic fluid-Maxwell model of laser plasma interactions. ► The effect of the separation between two solitons, their amplitude difference and the phase difference on their evolution is studied. ► In the case of zero phase difference, the two small amplitude solitons display time periodic oscillations about their mean position. ► The introduction of finite phase difference tends to destroy the time periodicity and the end state is a pair of escaping solitons.