Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2002 / iii / Paper 47 / 1

Use the Unscaled Papkovich–Neuber representationwith harmonic vector and scalar potentials. For a torque-driven sphere chooseIts components are harmonic for $r>a$, and both $\mathbf{x}\cdot \mathbf{\Phi }$ and $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{\Phi }$ vanish. HenceThe last equality follows from the no-slip boundary condition at $r=a$. To check that $\mathbf{G}$ is indeed the applied couple, the traction on the sphere, with $\mathbf{n}=\mathbf{x}/a$ directed into the fluid, is ${\mathbf{\sigma }}_G\mathbf{n}=-3\mu {\mathbf{\Omega }}_G\times \mathbf{n}$. Its hydrodynamic torque isHere $\int \mathbf{nn}dS=(4\pi a^2/3)I$. The applied couple balances this resisting torque. The resulting field is the rotlet of a rotating sphere in Stokes flow.

For the Lorentz reciprocal theorem for Stokes flow, let ${\mathbf{n}}_D$ point out of the fluid domain $D$ and take the same viscosity in both flows. With $\nabla \cdot {\mathbf{\sigma }}_i+{\mathbf{f}}_i=0$, the theorem isIt follows by taking the divergence of the boundary integrand: incompressibility removes pressure-work terms, the two Newtonian strain contractions are equal, and the remaining stress divergences give the displayed body-force terms. This convention matters: on the inner boundary of an exterior domain, ${\mathbf{n}}_D=-\mathbf{n}$.

Apply the reciprocal identity with flow1 the actual body-force-driven flow and flow2 the rotlet auxiliary field. Its body force is zero. The large-sphere boundary terms vanish under the usual decay and convergence assumptions for this unbounded body-force problem.

On the sphere, the actual rigid velocity is $\mathbf{U}+\mathbf{\Omega }\times \mathbf{x}$. The auxiliary force is zero and its torque with the outward fluid normal is $\mathbf{G}$. The actual torque with that normal is the negative of the hydrodynamic torque on the sphere, hence zero for a torque-free sphere. Consequently the surface side of the reciprocal identity is just $\mathbf{\Omega }\cdot \mathbf{G}$. The volume side isSince the auxiliary couple is arbitrary,An unknown translation contributes nothing because the auxiliary rotlet has zero net force. This is body-force-driven rotation of a torque-free sphere.

Subtract the ambient velocity and stress, writing ${\mathbf{u}}^{\prime }=\mathbf{u}-{\mathbf{u}}_{\infty }$. This perturbation decays at infinity and on the sphere has velocity $\mathbf{U}+\mathbf{\Omega }\times \mathbf{x}-{\mathbf{u}}_{\infty }$. The ambient flow is regular through the ball and has no body force. Its net torque on the imaginary spherical surface is zero: the divergence theorem converts the torque to the volume integral of the stress divergence plus its antisymmetric part, both zero. Thus the perturbation has zero torque too.

Reciprocity with the auxiliary rotlet givesUsing ${\mathbf{\sigma }}_G{\mathbf{n}}_D=3(\mathbf{G}\times \mathbf{x})/(8\pi a^4)$ yieldsOn this sphere $\mathbf{x}=a\mathbf{n}$, so the vector divergence theorem gives $\int \mathbf{x}\times {\mathbf{u}}_{\infty }dS=a{\int }_{r<a}\nabla \times {\mathbf{u}}_{\infty }dV$. Taking the curl of the homogeneous Stokes equation makes ${\mathbf{\omega }}_{\infty }$ harmonic. Its ball average is its central value: the derivative of each spherical mean is proportional to the volume integral of its Laplacian, hence zero, and its small-radius limit is its value at the center. ThereforeThis proves Faxén rotation law directly from the reciprocal theorem, including why no finite-radius Laplacian correction is needed for a body-force-free ambient flow. Regularity of the ambient field throughout the sphere's prospective interior is part of this argument.

Let $\mathbf{n}=\mathbf{R}/R$. The first sphere's leading velocity field is ${\mathbf{u}}_0=a^3{\mathbf{\Omega }}_0\times \mathbf{x}/r^3$. Taking its curl givesThe second sphere is torque-free, soIts own force-free and torque-free motion emits no Stokeslet or rotlet; further reflections are smaller at large separation. In particular it spins in the opposite direction for a primary rotation perpendicular to the line of centers, and in the same direction with twice that magnitude for a parallel rotation.

Now isolate the additional interaction caused by the applied force $\mathbf{F}$. Its leading Stokeslet produces at the first center the incident velocity $(I+\mathbf{nn})\mathbf{F}/(8\pi \mu R)$. The Stokes drag law makes the increment of the force required to hold that sphere fixedThe sign opposes the incident velocity. This holding force acts on the fluid and generates a reflected Stokeslet. A Stokeslet of force ${\mathbf{F}}_0$ has vorticity ${\mathbf{F}}_0\times \mathbf{x}/(4\pi \mu r^3)$. Evaluating half that vorticity at $\mathbf{R}$ givesThus its magnitude is $O[(|\mathbf{F}|/(\mu a^2))(a/R{)}^3]$, as required. This is forced-sphere rotation reflected from a held sphere. Longitudinal forcing has zero leading spin by symmetry. Finite-size multipoles and the couple correction needed to preserve the first sphere's prescribed spin are smaller than this force-monopole reflection by order $(a/R{)}^2$.