Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 317 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Write for the specific gas constant, with the printed denoting the atomic mass unit, and for the radiation constant. In the low-mass envelope the enclosed mass is approximately and the outward luminosity is approximately . The stellar hydrostatic equation, stellar radiative diffusion, and ideal gas equation giveThe Kramers opacity law becomes . Dividing the two differential equations eliminates radius and mass density:Integrating from a surface matching point givesDeep compared with the photosphere, the surface terms are negligible. The radiative-zero white-dwarf envelope therefore hasThis is the leading envelope approximation used in the later parts, rather than an exact atmospheric boundary condition at .
At the base, temperature, mass density and pressure match the isothermal degenerate core. Let , where is the mean molecular weight per electron. Equating the gas and electron degeneracy pressure givesHence . Substituting this into the envelope relation at yieldsThe matching of a white-dwarf envelope to a degenerate core thus gives , the envelope relation underlying Mestel's cooling law. It depends on pressure as well as mass density continuity at the interface; otherwise the supplied core equation would not determine the matching mass density.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 317 1 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Apply the preceding temperature profile at the envelope base. Introduce the dimensionless parameterThen , so the geometrical thickness of a white-dwarf radiative envelope isThe smallness to be established is therefore , up to the numerical factor .
That ordering follows from the cold, strongly electron-degenerate white dwarf model. Throughout the mass-bearing core, , where is the Fermi energy. For nonrelativistic electron degeneracy pressure,The stellar hydrostatic equation gives a characteristic core of order . Consequentlyfor fixed composition with order-one molecular-weight ratios, and . Equivalently, the matched base mass density is much lower than a characteristic core mass density, since . The degeneracy ordering applies in the bulk core; at the matching point degeneracy is becoming marginal.
The inequalities and express different facts. The first justifies ignoring surface-temperature terms, while the second makes the envelope geometrically thin. If the core were hot enough that were not small, the exact expression would not justify a thin-layer approximation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 317 2 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For fixed composition, electron-scattering opacity is effectively independent of mass density and temperature, so . With the specified CNO cycle exponent , the homology relations for radiative stars giveThe radiative homology with CNO burning and electron scattering is thereforeThe Stefan–Boltzmann law now givesEquivalently . These slopes are illustrated with arbitrary separate reference-model normalizations:
Logarithmic Hertzsprung-Russell slopes for the two idealized radiative homology sequences, with temperature increasing to the left
. The proton–proton/Kramers model applies to the lower-mass regime; the CNO/electron-scattering model applies to the higher-mass regime. Higher-mass cores are hotter, making the more temperature-sensitive CNO cycle efficient, and highly ionized material favors electron-scattering opacity. These are the stated idealized radiative, gas-pressure-supported sequences: a fully convective low-mass star or a radiation-pressure-dominated massive star needs a different structural model. The intersection of independently normalized lines in the figure does not specify a physical crossover mass.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 317 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Let denote specific entropy, reserving from the first question for envelope thickness. The stellar adiabatic exponents are defined at fixed composition byIt is useful to introduce , so .
Take the stellar gas to be a fully ionized, nonrelativistic monatomic ideal gas, with fixed specific gas constant . Its mixture with thermal radiation hasHere is specific internal energy, and the stellar gas-pressure fraction is . The assumption of monatomic gas fixes its heat capacity; the perfect-gas pressure law alone would not determine it.
At fixed and fixed , respectively, the pressure derivatives areFor an isentropic process, the first law of thermodynamics gives . Differentiate the internal energy rather than artificially holding fixed during the perturbation:The parenthesis is , givingSince ,Using the relation between the exponents gives the adiabatic exponents of a monatomic gas-radiation mixtureThe requested values, including the adiabatic temperature gradient, areThe pure-radiation and pure-gas rows are understood as limits of the mixture.
For uniform composition, the Schwarzschild criterion for stellar convective instability isTo test whether a radiative configuration becomes unstable, use its required stellar radiative temperature gradient for . Since , the equivalent radial condition isAn outward-displaced parcel then cools less than its new surroundings, remains less dense at the same pressure, and is further accelerated outward.
The requested Eddington-model convective-core mass fraction follows from the usual global constant- closure. At the outer radiative surface, put , , and . Dividing the radiation-pressure gradient by the stellar hydrostatic equation givesThere is no energy generation outside the convective core, so use there. The local radiative-gradient formula isThe same representative has been used in the global luminosity closure and at the boundary. Setting this gradient equal to at producesThis is , , and for , respectively, with a marginal radiation-dominated limit.
There is a consistency qualification to this last model estimate. It cannot be an exact stellar solution if all the printed assumptions are enforced pointwise. An exactly uniform nonzero radiation fraction would give at every radiative point. The exact equations would then requireIf is constant throughout an envelope with positive mass density, increases with radius, so this equality cannot hold there. Equivalently uniform fixes the actual gradient to , whereas for . The boxed core fraction is the intended Eddington closure and boundary estimate, which relaxes exact constancy of in the detailed envelope. The constant-beta radiative-envelope obstruction identifies the missing approximation; it is not legitimate to silently assert exact compatibility.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 320 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
A spherically symmetric stellar model has no preferred direction in the tangent plane at a fixed radius. Rotations about the radial axis exchange its two transverse velocity directions, so . This uses spherical symmetry of the velocity distribution, not just a spherical mass density.
The augmented density treats radius and relative potential as independent variables, agreeing with the physical density only along . For any regular bound spherical galactic distribution function , write and . At fixed , and . Integration by parts therefore givesFor , the velocity measure is , and . Integrating the transverse derivative gives , while integrating the radial derivative in gives . Consequentlywhere is fixed. These identities show that the augmented representation holds for any such spherical distribution, not only a monomial ansatz. With radial pressure vanishing at the zero-binding boundary, set Along the physical curve, the chain rule gives . The Spherical Jeans equation then requiresThus the Jeans moments from an augmented density areThe partial derivative holds fixed. Substitution cancels the integral of and leaves precisely in the Spherical Jeans equation. This is a representation by a chosen augmented density, not a unique solution determined by the one-variable density: different extensions off the physical curve encode different anisotropies, and not every formal extension necessarily gives a nonnegative galactic distribution function.
For the hypervirial density-potential family, differentiate the potential and use the spherical shell theorem:Differentiating and dividing by givesThe enclosed mass tends to at infinity and to zero at the centre for every . The same result follows from , with the stated sign convention.
From now on set . The separable augmented density is . Integrating it givesand henceWith these are the requested radial expressions. The velocity-anisotropy parameter is , and the total mean square speed is .
The local kinetic-energy density is . With the potential zero at infinity, the gravitational energy density is , where . ThereforeThis is the local virial relation of the hypervirial model, a special property stronger than the global virial theorem. To compute the global energies as well, set . The substitution yields the global binding integral of the hypervirial modelThe beta function integral converges for all . ThusRestoring dimensions multiplies by .
To derive the hypervirial distribution function, let be the positive relative energy and the magnitude of the specific angular momentum. Seek for and zero otherwise. Its density isThe angular integral is . Substitution makes the radial integralMatching the augmented-density power gives . Matching its coefficient gives the normalization of the hypervirial distribution functionAll integrals are finite in velocity for , and . Because and are orbital integrals, this is a steady solution by the Jeans theorem. As checks, gives for the Hernquist model, and gives for the isotropic Plummer model.
The density and potential do not uniquely fix the stellar distribution. The preceding coefficient is fixed within the chosen separable power-law model, but nonuniqueness of spherical galactic distribution functions remains without that extra restriction. An explicit positive counterexample uses the same density. Define the Osipkov-Merritt distribution function variable and takeRescale the transverse velocity by . Then and the velocity Jacobian contributes . Direct integration givesexactly the same Plummer model density. This anisotropic Plummer distribution with unit anisotropy radius has , so it is distinct from the isotropic distribution while remaining positive and spherical. Its second moments differ, so it does not share the extra augmented-density and local-virial restrictions of the chosen hypervirial model.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 320 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
A small-angle gravitational encounter between a test star and a field star of mass gives a transverse kick , where is the impact parameter and the relative speed. For number density , encounters in occur at rate . Independent kicks add in mean square, giving the random-walk derivation of stellar relaxationThe Coulomb logarithm in stellar dynamics has of order system size , and of order the strong-deflection scale . For a virialized -star system, , so is of order . The stellar relaxation time is the time for accumulated velocity variance to become comparable with :Using gives . With a diameter-crossing convention , this is , conventionally rounded toThe coefficient is approximate: spatial profile, velocity averages and crossing-time convention change it by factors of order unity. The robust result is crossing times.
For and years, the estimate is about years, enormously longer than a Hubble time. Most galaxies therefore behave as collisionless stellar systems. Dense nuclei and star clusters can relax more rapidly. Negligible stellar encounters do not mean negligible collective gravitational instabilities.
Define the mass-weighted galactic distribution function by , so . Hamiltonian gravitational motion preserves phase space volume by the Liouville theorem in Hamiltonian mechanics. In the collisionless regime no encounter term redistributes stars between neighbouring phase space trajectories, so . With acceleration , the Collisionless Boltzmann equation is
For a steadily rotating galactic bar, write the inertial polar angle as . The inertial radial and angular equations are and . Substitution gives the equations of motion in a rotating frame:Here the velocities are measured in the bar frame. Set , and define the positive-force rotating-frame relative effective potentialThe centrifugal sign is positive in this relative-potential convention. The characteristics areConsequently the rotating-frame collisionless Boltzmann equation isFor these planar equations, integrate over and interpret as the planar or vertically integrated mass density. Define . Boundary terms in velocity vanish for a sufficiently decaying distribution.
Let the velocity accelerations above be . Their velocity divergence is . Thus integration by parts in the zeroth moment contributes , producing the cylindrical continuity equation for a rotating stellar systemThis is conservation of mass: change of density balances flux through the radial and azimuthal sides of a small cylindrical element. The factor is geometric; the physical phase space measure is .
For the radial first moment, multiply the rotating-frame collisionless Boltzmann equation by . Its velocity integrations are and . Hence the radial cylindrical Jeans equations in a rotating frame areFor the azimuthal first moment, the velocity integral vanishes, while . This givesThe Jeans equations are local momentum-balance equations. The second moments include streaming momentum flux and random-velocity stress, while gravity, centrifugal acceleration and Coriolis acceleration supply the frame-dependent forces. They do not by themselves close the full distribution: a stress prescription or a galactic distribution function is also needed.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 321 2 d ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For , the velocity divergence is zero and . Substituting into the steady Euler equations yieldsIntegration givesThe steady enthalpy equation also requires . Its coefficient is , so, since ,For a bounded patch with positive mass density and a vacuum fluid free boundary, choose and require both quadratic coefficients to confine the fluid. With and , this meansThe lower bound is imposed by ; the upper bound by bounded positive . At , is constant and has no nontrivial finite vacuum boundary; violates or degenerates the stipulated elliptical flow.
For a polytropic elliptical patch in a shearing sheet, the physical fluid free boundary is . It is the ellipsewhere and . In the interior . The boundary is a material streamline because . Since , it is elongated in the azimuthal direction.
The polytropic shearing-sheet patch has an elliptical vacuum boundary with tangential anticyclonic flow and positive interior enthalpy
. This is a pressure-supported fluid patch in the supplied tidal model; no additional planetary self-gravity potential was assumed.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 321 2 d i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For the polytropic equation of state , take and for the physical model. The specific enthalpy relative to vacuum isIts gradient obeys , so the Euler equations becomeFor the material derivative , . The continuity equation thus becomesThe choice at zero mass density fixes the additive convention in this equation. Although the momentum equation alone is unchanged by adding a constant to , the polytropic relation and enthalpy evolution must use the same vacuum reference.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 322 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For constant component masses, the center of mass frame has and . Newton's law of universal gravitation gives the relative equation . Substitution in the component angular momenta yieldsHere is the reduced mass, while is specific angular momentum.
The printed total-energy expression lacks a factor of in its kinetic term. With the stated physical separation coordinate, the dimensionally consistent total two-body orbital energy isThe second expression is specific orbital energy; these two conventions must not be mixed. Its conservation follows directly:For the eccentricity vector, differentiate . Since is constant,The cancellation is the vector triple product identity. Thus all three corrected Kepler integrals are conserved. Dotting the eccentricity relation with also gives the useful orbit identity
For ballistic streamline focusing by a moving star, work in the star's rest frame and take the incoming gas to have velocity , with downstream behind the star at . A streamline with impact parameter approaches from . Its upstream specific angular momentum and eccentricity vector areAt its downstream axis crossing, . The orbit identity gives , hence the collision distance isAt that point, , while the component of gives . ThereforeA symmetric streamline with opposite impact parameter has the opposite transverse velocity. Their shock wave removes the opposing transverse motion while preserving the common downstream component. Thus the remaining velocity is in the star frame. In the frame where the undisturbed medium is stationary, adding the star's velocity gives zero velocity immediately after this idealized collision.
After transverse kinetic energy is dissipated, the remaining specific orbital energy is . It is negative if , or equivalently if the upstream impact parameter satisfies . This is the post-shock capture criterion in ballistic accretion; bound axial streams can return to the star. The captured incident mass flux through the corresponding disk gives the ballistic Bondi--Hoyle--Lyttleton accretion rate:This is the pressureless, dissipative capture model, with the shock's transverse energy unavailable to unbind the wake.
For wind mass transfer in a binary star, steady isotropic donor mass loss gives the local wind mass density at the companion:A fast wind has and a capture scale small compared with , so its relative incident speed is to leading order. Apply the same Bondi--Hoyle--Lyttleton accretion rate with accretor mass to obtainFinally, Kepler's third law eliminates the unquoted separation, , giving the rate in terms of the stated orbital period:Equivalently, the fast-wind accretion fraction in a circular binary is , with the relative circular orbital speed. Its smallness is consistent with using an almost undisturbed isotropic stellar wind.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 329 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
In the surfactant transport with exchange relaxation, is the material derivative following an interfacial material element. The term accounts for dilution by tangential stretching, while 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 , through adsorption or desorption from a surrounding reservoir, on time scale .
In the bubble frame the spherical interface is stationary and impermeable. A steady material derivative is . For a linear response in the rising speed this and are second order, whereas stretching of is first order. ThusRotational symmetry, linear response to , and zero normal velocity allow only , where 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 and . 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 are degree-one spherical harmonics. Hence a dipolar surfactant distribution solves the linear equation:The required smallness condition is . Surface diffusion or exchange must smooth the concentration faster than it is redistributed by the actual interfacial velocity. We require , and ; with neither process there is no such steady linear balance at nonzero . A small capillary number also justifies the spherical approximation.
Take the normal from the inner bubble to the outer liquid, define , and set . The interfacial stress balance with variable surface tension isBecause and , its tangential part becomesThis is a Marangoni stress: surface-tension gradients oppose the clean-bubble circulation.
Use the Unscaled Papkovich–Neuber representation, and . The constant vector potential gives . 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 omitted in the TeX aid. With that factor restored, the exterior velocity isAt the interface, no penetration gives , and the tangential velocity gives . Using the traction coefficient printed in equation (3), the tangential stress condition gives . 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 . In particular the tangential traction is . Keeping the same definition of , the physically consistent translating surfactant-coated bubble instead has andThe two sets must not be silently conflated. As a useful check, the no-slip limit has the usual total Stokes flow drag with the corrected traction; the printed traction would double it.
Both versions give , , when : the interface is tangentially stress-free and circulates as a clean inviscid bubble. For , , , : the interface is immobile in the bubble frame and behaves as a no-slip sphere. The Marangoni stress remains finite because has a nonzero limit. The concentration smallness condition still has to hold; large is not by itself a complete linearization criterion.
The normal component is balanced by the inner gas pressure and the normal capillary stress , including the variation of , 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 be the outer-minus-inner mass density. After removing the equilibrium Laplace pressure, the corrected outer normal traction has dynamic part . Its degree-one balance isThus, if a terminal speed is desired, , 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.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 329 4 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Write , , and choose the common undisturbed interface pressure . The hydrostatic pressure is in the upper fluid and in the lower fluid. Continuity of hydrostatic pressure across both current interfaces givesThus and . This isostatic depth partition of an interfacial current expresses local vertical buoyancy balance: a displaced column with an imbalance would move vertically until the partition was restored. With the hydrostatic pressure subtracted, the pressure within the current is , whereThe equivalent body force is outward for a profile decreasing with . Its magnitude is ; the derivative without an absolute value is a signed quantity.
For an ambient-controlled interfacial plug current, integrating the body force through depth gives radial force per area . The ambient Stokes flow varies over distance , exerting traction , so . The current's internal shear supports the ambient traction with a velocity difference ; requires . The force per area from its in-plane viscous extension is , negligible against ambient traction when . Together these give the viscosity window for an interfacial plug currentFixed volume gives , and the spreading velocity has the scale . Thus andChoosing so that exactly, the similarity solution has , , and . In radial conservation , substitution gives . Regularity and no source at the centre remove the integration constant. Therefore the radial plug velocity is linear:
For the disc-traction analogy for an interfacial current, subtract the imposed straining flow from the stationary-disc solution. The perturbation has velocity on the disc and zero far-field velocity. Reverse its sign: the resulting Stokes flow is driven by a radially expanding disc with velocity in otherwise quiescent fluid. The background straining flow contributes no radial shear traction on , so the given disc traction changes sign. This step uses Linearity of Stokes flow, Uniqueness of Stokes flow, and the no-slip boundary condition. The thin plug current has the same leading boundary velocity and hence the same ambient resistance. Each face contributes ; both faces must be counted. With , radial force balance isIntegrate with . The interfacial plug-current similarity profile isVolume integration gives . Eliminating gives the full prefactor:The formal edge slope diverges, so a narrow edge region lies outside the thin-current approximation. Its traction and volume contributions are integrable, and this is a leading thin-current solution rather than a uniformly valid edge description.
For a diffusion-controlled solute gravity current, excess solute mass, not enriched-fluid volume, is conserved. At late times the effective mass density excess is proportional to solute concentration, so , and . The same ambient resistance scaling givesThis scaling does not determine a universal numerical prefactor. The mass diffusivity controls the growing depth, while dilution weakens buoyancy; assuming a fixed current volume would incorrectly retain the law. The thin-layer requirement becomes ; when only dissolved solute changes the upper fluid, its viscosity is of order the ambient viscosity, consistent with the plug-current window.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 330 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The WKB approximation treats the vertical wavenumber as locally constant over one vertical wavelength. Write , with and . For the stationary internal-wave WKB solution, away from singular or turning levels. A small terrain slope and small perturbations are also needed for Linearized Boussinesq equations.
Let be the perturbation fluid pressure divided by reference mass density, and the buoyancy perturbation. The steady Linearized Boussinesq equations and incompressibility condition areFor an component, elimination gives , and . Substitution into vertical momentum gives the exact stationary Taylor–Goldstein equationThe leading WKB approximation therefore identifiesThe kinematic boundary condition fixes the horizontal wavenumber to for the sinusoidal forcing.
For explicit heights assume a constant positive buoyancy frequency , , and . The latter is a large gradient Richardson number. The linear shear flow has , so the propagation condition is .
For , the first obstruction is the critical level of an internal gravity wave atAs , . The critical-height approach of a stationary wave in linear shear has upward group velocity , so the travel time to diverges: the height is a supremum, approached in the ideal ray model. Here , which can remain small; it would be incorrect to say that the short-wavelength WKB approximation necessarily fails solely because diverges. Nevertheless and displacement , so a finite disturbance eventually violates linearity. Dissipation and overturning also matter near this singular level.
For , the turning height of a stationary wave in linear shear isAt , and the WKB approximation fails. An Airy function matching region describes reflection and an upper evanescent wave. Thus is the highest height of vertical propagation, rather than a sharp cut-off of every disturbance.
The problem initially allows to vary. Without the extra constant- assumption, replace the explicit turning height by the first root of encountered on a propagating branch. A declining can cause a turning level before the negative-shear critical level. The two closed-form heights require the stated constant-stratification assumption.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 330 2 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the steady Boussinesq top-hat plume in a stratified ambient, with negligible ambient vertical momentum and no externally added heat or particles. The Batchelor entrainment hypothesis supplies inward velocity across circumference . Volume conservation gives , and , henceThe momentum flux increases by the integrated buoyancy force. Writing , the force per reference density and per is . Since and , this givesFor the buoyancy flux, entrained material has the local environmental mass density. Let be the plume's averaged density. Its scalar mass conservation is . Since , differentiating cancels both entrainment terms and givesIn stable density stratification, and a rising plume loses buoyancy flux. These are kinematic fluxes with the common factor removed, so no additional factor of belongs in the three differential equations.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 331 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Introduce the thermal expansion coefficient , so the linear equation of state is . With gravity , the resting conductive state of Rayleigh-Bénard convection satisfies the steady heat equation and hydrostatic pressure balance. Consequentlyand, up to an arbitrary constant,Indeed , where .
The Boussinesq approximation retains temperature-dependent mass density in buoyancy while replacing it by in inertial coefficients; it requires . Subtracting the conductive state of Rayleigh-Bénard convection and dropping products of perturbations gives the dimensional Linearized Boussinesq equationsThe minus sign in the temperature equation comes from .
Use the thermal-diffusion scaling of a convection layerThe Rayleigh number and Prandtl number areThus the nondimensional perturbation equations areHere is kinematic viscosity, is thermal diffusivity, and positive denotes destabilizing heating from below for .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 331 2 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the Boussinesq approximation with a constant inertial reference mass density , keeping the background mass density gradient in buoyancy. Write and . For , the linearized normal mode equations areThe reference mass density is chosen close to the background values, whose relative variation must be small. Hydrostatic background pressure satisfies .
From incompressibility, . The horizontal momentum equation and the density equation then giveSubstitute these into the vertical momentum equation and multiply by :For , rearrangement gives the Taylor–Goldstein equationThe buoyancy frequency is real for stable stratification, where . Points where are critical levels of an internal gravity wave; the derivation there is understood through a limiting or piecewise formulation. The printed density gradient is , not the pressure gradient accidentally substituted in the local TeX.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 331 2 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Let be the displacement of a material interface and use . On each side, the kinematic boundary condition isThere is one displaced material interface, so its displacement is continuous. Thus the first jump condition isIn particular, vertical velocity need not be continuous when the background velocity jumps.
With no surface tension, pressure continuity applies on the displaced interface, rather than at its undisplaced height. Linearizing gives . Since , this becomes . The horizontal momentum calculation in part (a) givesSubstitute this and to obtain the second jump condition:These jump conditions for stratified inviscid shear flow use one-sided values of and apply to jumps of mass density, vorticity, or velocity. If is continuous, the first condition reduces to continuity of ; a jump of vorticity generally still prevents continuity of . This derivation avoids multiplying singular distributional derivatives of a discontinuous velocity in the Taylor–Goldstein equation.

