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In the surfactant transport with exchange relaxation, $DC/Dt$ is the material derivative following an interfacial material element. The term $-C{\nabla }_s\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_s$ accounts for dilution by tangential stretching, while $-C(\mathbf{u}\cdot \mathbf{n}){\nabla }_s\cdot \mathbf{n}$ accounts for changing area through normal motion and curvature. The surface diffusion term redistributes surfactant down concentration gradients. The exchange term relaxes its concentration towards $C_0$, through adsorption or desorption from a surrounding reservoir, on time scale $k^{-1}$.

In the bubble frame the spherical interface is stationary and impermeable. A steady material derivative is ${\mathbf{u}}_s\cdot {\nabla }_s{C}^{\prime }$. For a linear response in the rising speed this and $C^{\prime }{\nabla }_s\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_s$ are second order, whereas stretching of $C_0$ is first order. ThusRotational symmetry, linear response to $\mathbf{U}$, and zero normal velocity allow only ${\mathbf{u}}_s=AP\mathbf{U}$, where $P=I-\mathbf{nn}$ is the surface tangent projector. This is the dipolar, axisymmetric sector; axisymmetry alone, without the linear-response assumption, would allow other angular dependence.

On a sphere $\mathbf{n}=\mathbf{x}/r$ and ${\partial }_j{n}_i=({\delta }_{ij}-n_i{n}_j)/r$. Applying the surface tangent projector to the derivative gives the sphere surface derivative identitiesFor example, taking a second surface divergence of the first identity yields the third. Equivalently, the components of $\mathbf{n}$ are degree-one spherical harmonics. Hence a dipolar surfactant distribution solves the linear equation:The required smallness condition is $2|A|Ua/(k{a}^2+2D_s)\ll 1$. Surface diffusion or exchange must smooth the concentration faster than it is redistributed by the actual interfacial velocity. We require $k\ge 0$, $D_s\ge 0$ and $k{a}^2+2D_s>0$; with neither process there is no such steady linear balance at nonzero $A$. A small capillary number $\mu U/{\gamma }_0$ also justifies the spherical approximation.

Take the normal from the inner bubble to the outer liquid, define $[\sigma {]}_{-}^{+}={\sigma }_{+}-{\sigma }_{-}$, and set $\kappa ={\nabla }_s\cdot \mathbf{n}$. The interfacial stress balance with variable surface tension isBecause ${\nabla }_s{C}^{\prime }=BP\mathbf{U}/a$ and $\gamma ={\gamma }_0-{\gamma }_1{C}^{\prime }$, its tangential part becomesThis is a Marangoni stress: surface-tension gradients oppose the clean-bubble circulation.

Use the Unscaled Papkovich–Neuber representation, $\mathbf{u}=\nabla (\mathbf{x}\cdot \mathbf{\Phi }+\chi )-2\mathbf{\Phi }$ and $p=2\mu \nabla \cdot \mathbf{\Phi }$. The constant vector potential gives $\mathbf{u}\to -\mathbf{U}$. In the decaying, linear axisymmetric sector, a vector monopole and scalar dipole provide the two constants needed at the sphere; other equivalent potential choices amount to a representation freedom. The PDF potential contains the factor $a$ omitted in the TeX aid. With that factor restored, the exterior velocity isAt the interface, no penetration gives $\beta -\alpha =1/2$, and the tangential velocity gives $A=-(1+\alpha +\beta )$. Using the traction coefficient printed in equation (3), the tangential stress condition gives $2\beta =A\lambda$. The requested algebraic answers are therefore

There is a factor-of-two error in the PDF traction. Direct differentiation of the preceding velocity with the Newtonian fluid stress tensor givesrather than its printed coefficient $12\mu /a$. In particular the tangential traction is $6\mu \beta P\mathbf{U}/a$. Keeping the same definition of $\lambda$, the physically consistent translating surfactant-coated bubble instead has $\beta =A\lambda$ andThe two sets must not be silently conflated. As a useful check, the no-slip limit has the usual total Stokes flow drag $6\pi \mu aU$ with the corrected traction; the printed traction would double it.

Both versions give $A=-1/2$, $\alpha =-1/2$, $\beta =0$ when $\lambda \to 0$: the interface is tangentially stress-free and circulates as a clean inviscid bubble. For $\lambda \to \infty$, $A\to 0$, $\alpha \to -3/4$, $\beta \to -1/4$: the interface is immobile in the bubble frame and behaves as a no-slip sphere. The Marangoni stress remains finite because $\lambda A$ has a nonzero limit. The concentration smallness condition still has to hold; large $\lambda$ is not by itself a complete linearization criterion.

The normal component is balanced by the inner gas pressure and the normal capillary stress $\gamma \kappa$, including the variation of $\gamma$, together with the hydrostatic pressure difference responsible for buoyancy. A spatially uniform inner pressure alone cannot balance the dipolar traction. To make the normal stress balance on a translating bubble explicit, let $\Delta {\rho }_b$ be the outer-minus-inner mass density. After removing the equilibrium Laplace pressure, the corrected outer normal traction has dynamic part $-3\mu (1+\lambda )(\mathbf{U}\cdot \mathbf{n})/[a(1+2\lambda )]$. Its degree-one balance isThus, if a terminal speed is desired, $U=\Delta {\rho }_{b}g{a}^2(1+2\lambda )/[3\mu (1+3\lambda )]$, interpolating between the clean-bubble and rigid-sphere speeds. A degree-one shape displacement is merely a translation of the sphere, so the balance determines its rise speed, rather than a dipolar shape distortion.