Constructing a class of topological solitons in magnetohydrodynamics

We present a class of topological plasma configurations characterized by their toroidal and poloidal winding numbers, $n_t$ and $n_p$ respectively. The special case of $n_t=1$ and $n_p=1$ corresponds to the Kamchatnov-Hopf soliton, a magnetic field configuration everywhere tangent to the fibers of a Hopf fibration so that the field lines are circular, linked exactly once, and form the surfaces of nested tori. We show that for $n_t \in \mathbb{Z}^+$ and $n_p=1$ these configurations represent stable, localized solutions to the magnetohydrodynamic equations for an ideal incompressible fluid with infinite conductivity. Furthermore, we extend our stability analysis by considering a plasma with finite conductivity and estimate the soliton lifetime in such a medium as a function of the toroidal winding number.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

The Evolution of the Global Climate Regime

The Ohio State University Mershon Center for International Security StudiesThe media can be accessed here: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/mershon12/100412.mp4Alexander Thompson is associate professor of political science at The Ohio State University and co-director of the Globalization Speaker Series at the Mershon Center. He has research and teaching interests in international relations, with particular emphasis on international organizations, international political economy, and international environmental politics.Mershon Center for International Security Studie

The Performance of International Organizations

Research project funded in academic year 2008-09The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.International organizations (IOs) are essential but controversial actors in world politics. They are expected to rebuild war-torn societies, reduce poverty, stop the spread of disease, prevent financial crises, address environmental problems, adjudicate disputes, ensure free trade, promote gender equality, reform legal systems, and reduce corruption. But instead of earning praise, IOs face relentless attacks from critics who believe they are ineffective — or worse, that they exacerbate the very problems they are supposed to solve. Because IOs are so important to the international system, it is crucial that scholars and policy makers have a way of evaluating them. In this project, Alexander Thompson is developing a framework for understanding the performance of IOs. Why do some IOs perform better than others, and what are the determinants of their performance?Mershon Center for International Security Studie

Climatic Response of the Central African Dry Season to the RCP 8.5 Climate Change Scenario Using CMIP5 Ensemble

Honors (Bachelor's)Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112117/1/alexjt.pd