Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / iii / Paper 329 (Slow Viscous Flow)

The material derivative follows the interfacial surfactant. The term $-C{\nabla }_s\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_s$ describes dilution by tangential expansion and concentration by compression. The term $-C(\mathbf{u}\cdot \mathbf{n}){\nabla }_s\cdot \mathbf{n}$ accounts for changing surface area due to normal motion of a curved interface. Finally, $D_s{\nabla }_s^{2}C$ describes surface diffusion. Together these give conservation of insoluble surfactant on a moving interface.

The relevant surface Péclet number isWrite $S=\mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{A}\cdot \mathbf{n}$ and ${\mathbf{u}}_s=\mathbf{Ax}-S\mathbf{x}$. Since $\mathbf{A}$ has zero trace and ${\nabla }_s\mathbf{n}={\mathbf{I}}_s/a$, the surface divergence isThere is no normal motion. To first order in ${\mathrm{Pe}}_s$, the steady surfactant balance becomes $D_s{\nabla }_s^2{C}^{\prime }=C_0{\nabla }_s\cdot {\mathbf{u}}_s=-3C_{0}S$. The traceless quadratic $S$ is a degree-two spherical harmonic, so ${\nabla }_s^{2}S=-6S/a^2$. The mean of $C^{\prime }$ is zero by total surfactant conservation; consequentlyThe discarded advective term ${\mathbf{u}}_s\cdot {\nabla }_s{C}^{\prime }$ is smaller by ${\mathrm{Pe}}_s$. This is the quadrupolar surfactant distribution on a spherical interface.

With the unit normal directed from the bubble into the exterior, the interfacial stress balance with variable surface tension isUsing the specified first-order curvature and $\gamma ={\gamma }_0-K{\gamma }_{1}S$, together with ${\nabla }_{s}S=2{\mathbf{I}}_s\mathbf{An}/a$, givesThe first term is the spherical capillary pressure; the last contains the normal tension correction and the tangential Marangoni stress.

The ambient Stokes flow has the symmetry of the symmetric traceless tensor $\mathbf{E}$. In the Unscaled Papkovich–Neuber representation, ${\chi }_{\infty }=\mathbf{x}\cdot \mathbf{E}\cdot \mathbf{x}/2$ is harmonic and yields $\mathbf{Ex}$. The decaying vector potential must have the form $\mathbf{E}\nabla (1/r)$, and the scalar disturbance must have the degree-two form $\mathbf{E}:\nabla \nabla (1/r)$. They are harmonic outside the bubble and have precisely the required rotational covariance. Dimensionless amplitudes may therefore be writtenFor a steady bubble, the no-penetration boundary condition gives $1+P-3Q=0$. Its tangential velocity gives $\alpha =1+2Q$. The tangential stress boundary condition then yieldsHence $\alpha =5/(5+2M)$, $Q=-M/(5+2M)$ and $P=-(5+5M)/(5+2M)$. The inviscid interior supplies only the constant pressure balancing $2{\gamma }_0/a$. Matching the remaining normal stress givesEliminating $P,Q,\alpha$ givesAs $M\to \infty$, $\alpha \to 0$: the Marangoni stress suppresses tangential motion and effectively immobilizes the interface. This limit must retain the small surface Péclet number and small-deformation assumptions; $M$ can grow through increasing ${\gamma }_1$ without invalidating the linear concentration approximation.

For the stated axisymmetric flow, the diagonal components of the rate-of-strain tensor areTheir sum is $u_r+u/r+w_z=0$, the incompressibility condition. In the leading thin-sheet approximation, vanishing tangential traction makes $u$ independent of $z$. The normal stress boundary condition is ${\sigma }_{zz}=-p_{\mathrm{ext}}$, so the Newtonian fluid stress tensor givesThereforeFor the small annular sector, the inner and outer radial faces contribute $2\delta \theta {\partial }_r(rh{\sigma }_{rr})\delta r$ in the radial direction. The two azimuthal faces contribute $-2\delta \theta h{\sigma }_{\theta \theta }\delta r$: their hoop tractions have inward radial components. The combined radial force of the external pressure on the sloping upper and lower surfaces is $2\delta \theta r{p}_{\mathrm{ext}}{h}_r\delta r$.

Neglecting inertia, force balance is thusSubstituting the two stresses cancels the terms involving $p_{\mathrm{ext}}{h}_r$ and gives the axisymmetric viscous-sheet stretching equations:Finally, conservation of mass in the sector gives

Put $b=\Delta \rho g>0$, so $p_{\mathrm{ext}}=bh$. Balancing the viscous and pressure terms in the axisymmetric viscous-sheet stretching equations, together with fixed volume, suggests a similarity solutionThe conservation of mass equation becomesThere is no ongoing source at the origin, so the integration constant vanishes and $U=\eta /2$ wherever $H>0$. Thus $u=r/(2t)$. Substitution into radial force balance givesA differentiable $H$ cannot have nonzero derivative on an interval while being fixed there at $3\mu /b$. Hence $H^{\prime }=0$: the spreading sheet has uniform thickness.

At the material edge, $R^{\prime }=u(R,t)=R/(2t)$. Since ${\sigma }_{rr}=-bh+3\mu /t$, the edge condition $h{\sigma }_{rr}=-b{h}^2/2$ fixes $h=6\mu /(bt)$. Fixed volume $V=\pi R^{2}h$ then fixes the radius. The self-similar spreading of a viscous oil slick isThe point-release idealization is singular at $t=0$; a finite initial uniform slick gives the same solution with a time shift.

Each broad face supplies surface tension $\gamma$ pulling the rounded hole edge into the remaining sheet. Their resultant is $2\gamma$ per unit circumference. At the inner boundary the fluid's outward normal is $-{\mathbf{e}}_r$, so the boundary traction is outward in the radial direction when $h{\sigma }_{rr}=-2\gamma$. The right panel of the preceding diagram shows these two capillary pulls.

With uniform thickness and $p_{\mathrm{ext}}=0$, the axisymmetric viscous-sheet stretching equations reduce toThis Euler-Cauchy equation gives $u=Ar+B/r$. The fixed outer rim imposes $u(R_0)=0$, hence $B=-A{R}_0^2$. Because $(ru{)}_r/r=2A$, conservation of mass gives $\dot{h}=-2Ah$, independent of $r$. Thus a uniform sheet remains uniform.

The radial stress is ${\sigma }_{rr}=6\mu A-2\mu B/r^2$. Its value at the hole edge determinesThe edge is material, so $\dot{R}=u(R)$ andNeglecting the initially tiny hole's volume, conservation of mass gives $\pi h(R_0^2-R^2)=\pi h_0{R}_0^2$, or $h=h_0/(1-x^2)$ with $x=R/R_0$. Therefore the capillary growth of a hole in a viscous sheet obeysFor a finite initial hole $x_i$, replace $h_0$ in the denominator by $h_0(1-x_i^2)$. A nonzero seed is needed: the exact initial condition $x(0)=0$ gives the stationary solution of this differential equation. For a small positive seed, $x$ initially grows exponentially at rate $\gamma /(\mu h_0)$.

Reflection in $y=0$ preserves the prescribed translational velocity and axial angular velocity. A force transforms as a polar vector, whereas a torque transforms as an axial vector; consequently $F_y=G_x=G_z=0$. Reflection in $x=0$ reverses both imposed motions but preserves the normal force component. The linearity of Stokes flow then gives $F_z=0$. Thus only $F_x$ and $G_y$ can be nonzero.

There is a sign inconsistency in the printed question. In right-handed coordinates, $\mathbf{\Omega }=\Omega {\mathbf{e}}_y$ gives a rotational velocity $-\Omega a{\mathbf{e}}_x$ at the sphere's lowest point. The printed shear and force formulas instead use the opposite rotational sense. Below, let $\omega$ be the right-handed component along $+{\mathbf{e}}_y$; the paper's displayed formulas are recovered by setting $\omega =-\Omega$.

In the translating frame, the parabolic gap and leading boundary velocities areThe no-slip boundary condition and lubrication theory giveThe gap is stationary in this frame, so ${\nabla }_{\parallel }\cdot \mathbf{q}=0$. The Reynolds lubrication equation is thereforeSince $h_x=x/a$ and ${\nabla }_{\parallel }^{2}h=2/a$,Differentiating the velocity profile gives the leading shear stressesThe first expression becomes the printed formula after $\omega =-\Omega$.

For the logarithmic lubrication resistance of a sphere near a wall, write $\ell =\log (1/ϵ)$. The logarithmic region is $a\sqrt{ϵ}\ll r\ll a$, where $h\sim r^2/(2a)$. ConsequentlyThese follow from $\int r/hdr=a\ell +O(a)$ and $\int r^3/h^{2}dr=2a^2\ell +O(a^2)$, with a fixed small outer cutoff. The general logarithmic radial numerator is $r^{2n-1}$ over $h^n$; the numerator in the printed integration hint appears to have a typographical error.

The force exerted on the fluid through the upper gap boundary includes pressure acting on its slope:The pressure cancels the $x^2/h^2$ term, givingPressure exerts no torque about the centre of a sphere because its traction is radial. To logarithmic order, the shear has lever arm $-a{\mathbf{e}}_z$, soThe other components vanish by parity: $G_x$ involves an integral of the $xy$ term, and $G_z$ has an integrand odd in $y$. The combined hydrodynamic resistance matrix isIts equal off-diagonal coefficients are required by the Lorentz reciprocal theorem for Stokes flow. It is a positive-definite matrix, as required by viscous dissipation.

In the rotational convention of the printed force formula, set $\Omega =-\omega$ and measure the scalar couple along $-{\mathbf{e}}_y$, so $G=-G_y$. ThenFor sedimentation under the buoyancy-adjusted weight $F$, a uniform sphere is torque-free. Thus $\omega a=U/4$, and the force balance givesThe rotational scalar in the paper's displayed-force convention is $\Omega =-U/(4a)$. The sphere rolls in the right-handed $+{\mathbf{e}}_y$ sense but still slips: its lowest point has laboratory velocity $U-a\omega =3U/4$. The signs and coefficients of the right-handed resistance agree with the rigid-wall terms of Bertin et al., equations (4.4)–(4.5), after reversing the forces and torques there from fluid-on-sphere to sphere-on-fluid.