  We investigate the coalescence of two DNA-bubbles initially located at weak
segments and separated by a more stable barrier region in a designed construct
of double-stranded DNA. The characteristic time for bubble coalescence and the
corresponding distribution are derived, as well as the distribution of
coalescence positions along the barrier. Below the melting temperature, we find
a Kramers-type barrier crossing behaviour, while at high temperatures, the
bubble corners perform drift-diffusion towards coalescence. The results are
obtained by mapping the bubble dynamics on the problem of two vicious walkers
in opposite potentials.
