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For an almost spherical inviscid bubble in exterior Stokes flow $\mathbf{Ex}$, let $\gamma ={\gamma }_0-{\gamma }_1(C-C_0)$ and $K=C_0{a}^2/(2D_s)$. The quadrupolar surfactant distribution on a spherical interface makes the tangential velocity ${\mathbf{u}}_s=\alpha {\mathbf{I}}_s\mathbf{Ex}$ satisfyThe Marangoni stress approaches the stress needed to suppress surface motion as $M$ grows. The quadrupolar shape perturbation $r=a(1+\mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{Dn})$ isThese expressions require small deformation and small surface Péclet number; large $M$ alone does not justify a small concentration perturbation.

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.