Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2002 / iii / Paper 47 / 2

The material derivative follows surfactant carried by the moving interface. Tangential surface divergence changes the local surface area and hence dilutes or concentrates insoluble material. Normal motion changes area through the curvature: an expanding sphere has positive $u_n{\nabla }_s\cdot \mathbf{n}$ and its concentration decreases. The last term is surface diffusion, which smooths concentration gradients. There is no exchange with the bulk; this is conservation of insoluble surfactant on a moving interface.

The interfacial speed is of order $a|\mathbf{F}|$. Diffusion dominates redistribution when the surface Péclet number satisfiesThen $C^{\prime }/C_0=O({\mathrm{Pe}}_s)$, and advection of $C^{\prime }$ is a second-order effect. Write $S=\mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{Fn}$. Since ${\mathbf{u}}_s=\mathbf{Fx}-S\mathbf{x}$, the projected divergence of the first term is $\mathrm{tr}\mathbf{F}-S=-S$, whereas the second has divergence $2S$; its gradient contracted with $\mathbf{x}$ is zero. Hence ${\nabla }_s\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_s=-3S$.

The leading steady transport equation is $D_s{\Delta }_s{C}^{\prime }=C_0{\nabla }_s\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_s=-3C_{0}S$. Trace-freeness and the supplied surface Laplacian identity give ${\Delta }_{s}S=-6S/a^2$. Fixing the conserved total surfactant removes the uniform null mode and yieldsThis is quadrupolar surfactant distribution on a spherical interface; its spherical mean is zero because $⟨n_i{n}_j⟩={\delta }_{ij}/3$.

With $+$ outside, $-$ inside, and the normal directed out of the bubble, the interfacial stress balance with variable surface tension isNow ${\nabla }_{s}S=2I_s\mathbf{Fn}/a$, so $-{\nabla }_s\gamma =2A{\gamma }_1{I}_s\mathbf{Fn}/a$. Multiplying the curvature by the tension and retaining linear terms givesThe undeformed isotropic pressure jump is kept with its normal; the perturbation terms are evaluated on the reference sphere. Products of deformation and concentration perturbations are beyond the approximation.

The imposed tensor is symmetric and traceless, so $\mathbf{x}\cdot \mathbf{Ex}$ is a harmonic scalar of degree two. Its decaying partner is $\mathbf{E}:\nabla \nabla (1/r)$; the corresponding harmonic vector uses $\mathbf{E}\nabla (1/r)$. Linearity and rotational symmetry give precisely these tensorial modes, with the growing scalar chosen to reproduce the imposed strain. Thus in the unscaled convention one can takeThe coefficients multiply distinct decaying modes. No other angular harmonic is forced at this order.

No penetration in the steady state gives $P=3Q-1$. The given tangential surface velocity implies $\alpha =1+2Q$. The tangential stress balance, with $M=A{\gamma }_1/(\mu a)$, gives $1+P-8Q=M\alpha$, or $-5Q=M(1+2Q)$. ThereforeThe nonuniform normal stress is unaffected by the uniform inviscid interior pressure. Its balance isSubstitution and rearrangement giveAs $M\to \infty$, $\alpha \to 0$: the concentration-induced Marangoni stress suppresses tangential surface motion, making the exterior boundary behave like an immobile surface despite the inviscid interior. The deformation coefficient tends to $5\mu a/(2{\gamma }_0)$; the clean limit is $2\mu a/{\gamma }_0$. Both small surface Péclet number and small deformation, of order $\mu a|\mathbf{E}|/{\gamma }_0$, are required. This is Marangoni immobilization of a bubble in straining flow.