Line source ($w(z)=\frac{Q}{2\pi }\log (z-b)$)

In a planar incompressible flow, a line source injects volume flux $Q$ per unit length perpendicular to the plane. Its radial velocity is $u_r=Q/(2\pi r)$, since integrating the outward velocity around a circle gives $2\pi r{u}_r=Q$. Its complex potential of a two-dimensional potential flow is $w=Q\log (z-b)/(2\pi )$ and its complex velocity is $w^{\prime }=Q/[2\pi (z-b)]$. Here $Q>0$ means outward flow; a line sink has negative $Q$. Away from $b$, this is an irrotational flow as well as an incompressible flow.

In the upper half-plane, a line source of outward volume flux $Q$ at height $a$ above an impermeable wall has an equal image source below it. On the wall $u=Qx/[\pi (x^2+a^2)]$ and the normal velocity vanishes. The steady Bernoulli equation gives $p-p_{\infty }=-\rho Q^2{x}^2/[2{\pi }^2(x^2+a^2{)}^2]$. Sincethe ambient-relative force per unit length pulls the wall toward the source with the displayed magnitude. The torque about the source's projection onto the wall is zero in the symmetric Cauchy principal value sense. Individual one-sided moments diverge logarithmically. This planar result differs from the three-dimensional hydrodynamic attraction of a plane wall to a point source.

In the impermeable strip $x>0$, $0<y<a$, a line source of strength $Q$ at an interior point $c$ has the displayed complex potential of a two-dimensional potential flow, with locally consistent complex logarithm and $f(z)=\cosh (\pi z/a)$. The hyperbolic-cosine map of a half-strip sends the walls to the real axis. An equal image line source at $\overline{f(c)}$ makes that axis a streamline. Since $f^{\prime }(c)\ne 0$, the local singular part remains $Q\log (z-c)/(2\pi )$, proving preservation of strength. With no extra imposed flow, the complex velocity tends to $Q/a$ as $x\to \infty$, so the outgoing volume flux is $Q$. The source position $c$ has positive imaginary part; assuming it real would place it on a wall.