Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-options-i-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2005/k/1/solution

For a material fluid volume, mass conservation yields . Constant mass density reduces this to . For inviscid flow, the Cauchy stress tensor is ; its net surface force is the volume integral of by the divergence theorem. Newton's second law for each material volume therefore gives . Since , these are exactly the two stated equations.
In two dimensions they read
Differentiate the second momentum equation in and subtract the derivative of the first. The pressure terms cancel. For , collecting terms gives
Incompressibility removes the last term, giving
Thus each fluid parcel retains its scalar vorticity as it moves. In particular an initially irrotational flow remains irrotational in this smooth two-dimensional inviscid evolution. There is no vortex stretching in this two-dimensional setting.

New to topics? Read the docs here!