  Context: The context of this paper is buoyant toroidal magnetic flux ropes,
which is a part of flux tube dynamo theory and the framework of solar-like
magnetic activity. Aims: The aim is to investigate how twisted magnetic flux
ropes interact with a simple magnetized stellar model envelope--a magnetic
"convection zone"--especially to examine how the twisted magnetic field
component of a flux rope interacts with a poloidal magnetic field in the
convection zone. Method: Both the flux ropes and the atmosphere are modelled as
idealized 2.5-dimensional concepts using high resolution numerical
magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. Results: It is illustrated that twisted
toroidal magnetic flux ropes can interact with a poloidal magnetic field in the
atmosphere to cause a change in both the buoyant rise dynamics and the flux
rope's geometrical shape. The details of these changes depend primarily on the
polarity and strength of the atmospheric field relative to the field strength
of the flux rope. It is suggested that the effects could be verified
observationally.
