  Self-organization in continuous systems is associated with dissipative
processes. In particular, for magnetized plasmas, it is known as magnetic
relaxation, where the magnetic energy is converted into heat and kinetic energy
of flow through the process of magnetic reconnection. An example of such a
system is the solar corona, where reconnection manifests as solar transients
like flares and jets. Consequently, toward investigation of plasma relaxation
in solar transients, we utilize a novel approach of data-constrained MHD
simulation for an observed solar flare. The selected active region NOAA 12253
hosts a GOES M1.3 class flare. The investigation of extrapolated coronal
magnetic field in conjunction with the spatiotemporal evolution of the flare
reveals a hyperbolic flux tube (HFT), overlying the observed brightenings. MHD
simulation is carried out with the EULAG-MHD numerical model to explore the
corresponding reconnection dynamics. The overall simulation shows signatures of
relaxation. For a detailed analysis, we consider three distinct sub-volumes. We
analyze the magnetic field line dynamics along with time evolution of
physically relevant quantities like magnetic energy, current density, twist,
and gradients in magnetic field. In the terminal state, none of the sub-volumes
are seen to reach a force-free state, thus remaining in non-equilibrium,
suggesting the possibility of further relaxation. We conclude that the extent
of relaxation depends on the efficacy and duration of reconnection, and hence,
on the energetics and time span of the flare.
