Crumpled wires in two dimensions.

Geometric and statistical properties of wires injected into a two-dimensional cavity with three different injection geometries are investigated. Complex patterns of folds are observed and studied as a function of the length of the wire. The mass-size relation and the distribution function n(s) of loops with internal area s formed as a consequence of the folded structure of the wire are examined. Several scaling laws are found and a hierarchical model is introduced to explain the experimental behavior observed in this two-dimensional crumpling process.