Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/iii/paper-83/3/b/solution

An eddy at height cannot extend arbitrarily far through the ground, so its largest local vertical scale is proportional to . Choose and absorb its constant of proportionality into the coefficient. With the prescribed constant turbulent velocity scale, write
The mixing-length closure is . Thus the full kinematic stress is
For , neglect the molecular term. With no internal momentum source, is constant, so
Integrating between two heights gives
Equivalently define an extrapolated roughness length and write . If , the familiar law of the wall is . The logarithmic profile is valid outside the inner viscous region and below scales where the constant-stress or wall-distance assumptions fail. It cannot be continued to to impose the smooth-wall no-slip condition.
The part b notation must therefore mean , a stress divided by density. Using the physical stress from part a on that right-hand side would omit a factor of .

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