Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2024/iii/paper-332/3/i/solution

Let be the local water-film thickness. To first order in the interface amplitudes,
The lubrication theory flux down the vertical surface, with a no-slip boundary condition at the ice and a stress-free boundary condition at the water-air interface, is
For the unperturbed film , so
The linearized Young–Laplace equation gives the capillary-pressure perturbation
Because the prescribed volume flux is uniform, its first-order perturbation must vanish. Linearization of the flux law gives
Thus, with ,
and hence
The complex amplitude ratio records the phase shift caused by surface tension in the long-wave approximation.

New to topics? Read the docs here!