Past exam of the theoretical mechanics course of the University of Oxford 2009 A 1 b Solution 2026-10-31
For , incompressibility is automatic and the nonlinear advection term is zero. With no pressure gradient the streamwise momentum equation is . Seek its periodic response as . The amplitude satisfies with . Since for , even symmetry givesOdd components vanish because the two boundary amplitudes are equal. This is the unique periodic solution. Without a specified initial profile, decaying zero-wall diffusion transients may be added, so the formula should not be read as a claim that every transient is absent.