Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2002/iii/paper-47/1/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 47 1 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-14
Use the Unscaled Papkovich–Neuber representationwith harmonic vector and scalar potentials. For a torque-driven sphere chooseIts components are harmonic for , and both and vanish. HenceThe last equality follows from the no-slip boundary condition at . To check that is indeed the applied couple, the traction on the sphere, with directed into the fluid, is . Its hydrodynamic torque isHere . The applied couple balances this resisting torque. The resulting field is the rotlet of a rotating sphere in Stokes flow.
For the Lorentz reciprocal theorem for Stokes flow, let point out of the fluid domain and take the same viscosity in both flows. With , the theorem isIt follows by taking the divergence of the boundary integrand: incompressibility removes pressure-work terms, the two Newtonian strain contractions are equal, and the remaining stress divergences give the displayed body-force terms. This convention matters: on the inner boundary of an exterior domain, .
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