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In a slender symmetric viscous sheet, the two broad faces have zero tangential traction. A cross-thickness variation of $w$ on the thickness scale would produce leading shear $\mu w_x$, whereas $\mu u_z$ is smaller by the square of the aspect ratio. The leading transverse momentum balance and the shear-free conditions therefore give $w_x=0$: write $w=w(z,t)$.

Incompressibility gives $u_x=-w_z$. Symmetry about $x=0$ sets the integration constant to zero, soThe normal traction on either nearly vertical face matches the ambient hydrostatic pressure, giving ${\sigma }_{xx}=-p_a$ to leading order. The Newtonian fluid stress tensor then yieldsThe factor four is the planar extensional resistance, as in the planar viscous-sheet stretching equations, rather than the factor three for uniaxial extension with two contracting transverse directions.

The following slice diagram shows all axial-force contributions per unit $y$-width; the end arrows indicate positive tensile stress and reverse if that signed stress is negative.

The two end tractions have net $z$-component ${\partial }_z(h{\sigma }_{zz})\delta z$. The normal pressure on the inclined side faces contributes $p_a{h}_z\delta z$, and gravitational acceleration gives the weight $\rho gh\delta z$. Hence force balance isSubstitute the stress expression and $p_a^{\prime }={\rho }_{a}g$:soKeeping the side-pressure component is essential: dropping it would retain an incorrect dependence on the arbitrary ambient pressure level. The remaining equation from conservation of mass isIt follows either by integrating incompressibility across the moving faces or directly from the face kinematic boundary condition.

When effective gravitational acceleration vanishes, $4\mu h{w}_z$ is independent of $z$. It equals the applied excess tensile force $F(t)$, with ambient pressure removed from the end loading. Along a material element labeled by its initial position $z_0$,Integration gives uniform material thinning under planar-sheet tension:A material interval conserves its area: $h(z,t)dz=h_0(z_0)d{z}_0$. ThusWith the specified fixed material origin, integrate the latter relation to obtainThese formulas hold while the material thickness remains positive.

For the quadratic initial profile, put $q=H-\Delta >0$. If $k\ne 0$, evaluating the integral at $z_0=L_0$ givesFor $k=0$ it instead givesFor a constant positive pulling force, $\Delta =Ft/(4\mu )$ first reaches the minimum initial thickness $H$ atBoth expressions for $L$ diverge there. Write $q=F(t^{\ast }-t)/(4\mu )$. If $k\ne 0$, the inverse tangent tends to $\pi /2$ and $\Delta \to H$, givingFor $k=0$,This is finite-time extension of a quadratically thickened sheet. With nonzero $k$, the dominant extension comes from the small material region $|z_0|=O(\sqrt{q/H}/|k|)$ near the thickness minimum, where the integrand is proportional to $1/(q+H{k}^2{z}_0^2)$. Its width shrinks like $\sqrt{q}$, giving an integrated divergence $q^{-1/2}$. The fixed ends are asymptotically far away in those local coordinates, so $A$ does not depend on $L_0$. For a uniform sheet the entire material interval has denominator $q$, giving the stronger $q^{-1}$ divergence and retaining its length in $A$. The singularity is a prediction of the ideal slender-sheet model as its minimum thickness tends to zero.