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Linearity of Stokes flow and Uniqueness of Stokes flow identify the ambient resistance to an expanding thin plug with the reversed perturbation around a stationary disc in an axisymmetric straining flow. The imposed straining flow has zero tangential stress on the disc plane. Each face then resists radial velocity $Er$ with traction $-8\mu Er/[\pi \sqrt{R^2-r^2}]$.

A spherical squirmer can rotate without disturbing the surrounding fluid if its prescribed surface slip exactly cancels the velocity of rigid rotation: $u^{\prime }=-\Omega \times an$. The laboratory-frame boundary velocity is then zero. Uniqueness of Stokes flow with decay at infinity gives identically zero exterior velocity. In particular $u^{\prime }=b_0\sin \theta e_{\varphi }$ gives $\Omega =-(b_0/a)e_z$. The cancellation concerns the total fluid boundary velocity, not the solid material's angular velocity.

For a fixed geometry, the steady Stokes equation maps $(\mathbf{u},p^{\prime },\mathbf{f})$ to $(-\mathbf{u},-p^{\prime },-\mathbf{f})$ when all imposed boundary velocities and disturbance forces are reversed; $p^{\prime }$ is pressure relative to any unchanged hydrostatic pressure. Linearity of Stokes flow and Uniqueness of Stokes flow therefore reverse the entire velocity field. If the driving schedule and evolving geometry are retraced, fluid elements retrace their paths too. Reversing just one drive while leaving another applied force unchanged does not meet these conditions.

This reversal concerns the paths, while viscous dissipation remains positive: for a sphere, the required power $6\pi \mu a{U}^2$ is unchanged by $U\mapsto -U$. A reversed experiment must supply fresh energy. Inertia, Brownian motion and irreversible contact can prevent perfect retracing. Edward M. Purcell illustrated the mechanism with a viscous fluid flow demonstration in Life at low Reynolds number, American Journal of Physics 45, 3–11 (1977).

Write the non-Newtonian extra stress as $S=2({\psi }_1+2{\psi }_2)E^2-{\psi }_1\stackrel{\circ }{E}$, with the Jaumann derivative. For a steady Stokes flow, $\nabla \times \nabla \cdot \stackrel{\circ }{E}=0$. If ${\psi }_1+2{\psi }_2=0$, the extra force is a gradient and only alters pressure. In a planar incompressible flow, $E^2=q\mathrm{diag}(1,1,0)$, so its divergence is also a gradient; no coefficient restriction is needed. A Newtonian velocity with prescribed boundary velocities consequently solves the second-order model with an altered pressure. On the regular weak-flow branch, Uniqueness of Stokes flow makes each velocity correction vanish. This does not establish uniqueness of arbitrary large nonlinear branches or the absence of higher-order effects in a real material.

The usual elastic secondary flow around a rotating sphere is inward towards the equator, then poleward beside the sphere and outward near both poles. It is superposed on the primary azimuthal rotating sphere in Stokes flow. Tensile normal stresses along curved azimuthal streamlines act as hoop stresses, pulling liquid towards the rotation axis. Incompressibility supplies the axial return flow. Unlike the primary rotation, this meridional circulation does not reverse when the rotation is reversed.

The direction assumes the usual polymeric sign $c={\psi }_1+2{\psi }_2>0$ and negligible inertia. A general second-order fluid has circulation proportional to $c$: a negative value reverses the arrows and $c=0$ eliminates the leading elastic circulation. Inertial secondary circulation is a different contribution, so slow rotation alone does not determine which contribution dominates. The sketch shows the elastic contribution for $c>0$:

For a quantitative check of the sketch, take sphere radius $a$, angular velocity $\Omega$ and $K=\Omega a^3$. The primary azimuthal velocity is $v_{\varphi }=K\sin \theta /r^2$, with $\theta$ measured from the rotation axis. Its only nonzero strain components in the spherical orthonormal basis are $E_{r\varphi }=E_{\varphi r}=-3K\sin \theta /(2r^3)$. The leading elastic secondary circulation around a rotating sphere has the stream functionwith $v_r=H(3{\cos }^2\theta -1)/r^2$ and $v_{\theta }=-H^{\prime }\sin \theta \cos \theta /r$. The bracket is $(1-a/r{)}^2(1+2a/r)>0$ outside the sphere. Thus $v_r<0$ at the equator and $v_r>0$ near the poles when $c>0$, and both components vanish on the sphere. The diagram uses these velocities, not independently chosen arrows.

Two other manifestations of the same elastic normal-stress differences are rod climbing, in which inward hoop stresses raise a free surface around a rotating rod, and die swell, in which relaxation of the axial stress and stored polymer deformation allows an extrudate to expand sideways after leaving the die. These are not explained by a scalar shear viscosity alone. A Newtonian extrudate can also swell through velocity-profile rearrangement, so the elastic contribution should not be identified with every instance of swelling.

The second-order fluid is a slow, weak-flow expansion of the objective constitutive history of an isotropic simple fluid. Material frame indifference requires objective tensor rates. For an incompressible flow, the leading isotropic stress is arbitrary pressure, the linear deviatoric term is $2\mu E$, and at the next order the independent contributions can be represented by $E^2$ and an objective rate of $E$. Isotropic scalar contributions are absorbed into the pressure. Their coefficients can be expressed through the two low-rate normal-stress differences, givingHere $\stackrel{△}{E}$ is the lower-convected derivative, not a division by $E$. This local expansion is appropriate when deformation and temporal change over the relevant viscoelastic relaxation time are small: both the Weissenberg number and the appropriate Deborah number must be small. It captures leading normal stresses in slow flows, but not arbitrary finite-strain history, rapid transients or strongly nonlinear shear thinning. In particular its restrictions are stronger than small-amplitude linear oscillatory response at arbitrary frequency.

For steady simple shear flow $\mathbf{v}=(\dot{\gamma }y,0,0)$, use component-first $L_{ij}={\partial }_j{v}_i$, so the paper's $\nabla v$ is $L^T$. The relevant tensors areSubstitution givesThus the first and second normal-stress differences are $N_1={\psi }_1{\dot{\gamma }}^2$ and $N_2={\psi }_2{\dot{\gamma }}^2$, and the shear stress is $\mu \dot{\gamma }$.

For the velocity-preservation results, the definitions imply $\stackrel{△}{E}=\stackrel{\circ }{E}+2E^2$. Consequently the non-Newtonian stress can be writtenwhere $\stackrel{\circ }{E}$ is the Jaumann derivative. Let ${\mathbf{v}}_N$ solve the steady incompressible Stokes flow problem with the prescribed boundary velocities. The supplied identity says that $\nabla \cdot {\stackrel{\circ }{E}}_N$ is curl-free. If ${\psi }_1+2{\psi }_2=0$, then $\nabla \cdot S_N=\nabla \Phi$ for a scalar $\Phi$ on the ordinary simply connected flow domain. The momentum equation at ${\mathbf{v}}_N$ isHence the Newtonian velocity itself is a solution of the second-order constitutive model, with altered pressure $p=p_N+\Phi$. For nontrivial topology one also needs the curl-free force to admit a single-valued pressure; this is implicit in the usual boundary-value problem.

On the regular weakly non-Newtonian branch, Uniqueness of Stokes flow fixes the velocity correction. At first order it solves homogeneous Stokes flow, with zero boundary velocity, after the gradient force has been absorbed into pressure. Multiplying its equation by the correction and integrating gives $2\mu \int E_1:E_{1}dV=0$, hence the correction vanishes. Higher perturbative corrections vanish in turn because the previous velocities remain ${\mathbf{v}}_N$. The velocity is $\mathbf{v}={\mathbf{v}}_N$ in this second-order-fluid solution; only the pressure and stresses change. This is Newtonian velocity preservation in a second-order fluid. It does not assert global uniqueness of distant nonlinear solution branches or exact equality for a real fluid whose higher-order constitutive terms have been omitted.

For a planar incompressible velocity $(u(x,y),v(x,y),0)$, the rate-of-strain tensor has the formAll quantities are independent of $z$, so $\nabla \cdot E_N^2=\nabla (a^2+b^2)$. The extra quadratic term is therefore also a pressure gradient. Together with the supplied identity for the Jaumann derivative, the entire non-Newtonian force is a gradient for arbitrary ${\psi }_1,{\psi }_2$. The same boundary-value and weak-branch argument proves $\mathbf{v}={\mathbf{v}}_N$ for every such planar second-order-fluid flow with prescribed boundary velocities, without requiring ${\psi }_1+2{\psi }_2=0$. Specifying stresses or a free surface instead of velocities would not give the same conclusion automatically, because the extra stresses affect those boundary conditions.

Work in the frame in which the distant fluid is stationary, and take the pressure at infinity as zero. In the Unscaled Papkovich–Neuber representation, choose the harmonic potentialsBoth are harmonic away from the sphere's centre: $1/r$ is harmonic there and $\mathbf{V}\cdot \mathbf{x}/r^3=-\mathbf{V}\cdot \nabla (1/r)$. Substitution into $\mathbf{u}=\nabla (\mathbf{x}\cdot \mathbf{\Phi }+\chi )-2\mathbf{\Phi }$, $p=2\mu \nabla \cdot \mathbf{\Phi }$, gives the translating sphere in Stokes flow:Here $\mathbf{n}=\mathbf{x}/r$. At $r=a$ the coefficients of $\mathbf{I}$ sum to one and those of $\mathbf{nn}$ sum to zero, so the no-slip boundary condition is satisfied. The field decays at infinity. The Papkovich–Neuber representation enforces the Stokes equation and incompressibility, and Uniqueness of Stokes flow identifies the physical solution.

Differentiate radially at fixed direction $\mathbf{n}$:On the surface, multiplying the specified Newtonian fluid stress tensor by the outward normal from the solid givesThus the surface traction in translating-sphere Stokes flow is uniform and the fluid's force on the sphere isThis is the Stokes drag law; an external force of the opposite sign maintains the motion.

Use the Papkovich–Neuber representation in the conventionIt gives $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{u}=0$ and $\mu {\nabla }^2\mathbf{u}=-\mu \nabla (\nabla \cdot \mathbf{\Phi })=\nabla p$. Additive pressure constants are immaterial.

Let $q=\mathbf{x}\cdot \mathbf{Ex}$, with $\mathbf{E}$ symmetric and traceless. The harmonic vector $\mathbf{Ex}/r^3$ is a derivative of $1/r$. The scalar $q/r^5$ is a decaying degree-two harmonic because $q$ is a harmonic homogeneous quadratic. These Papkovich potentials for a strained sphere have precisely the strain symmetry and decay required for the disturbance, so trySubstitution givesAt $r=a$, require ${\mathbf{u}}^{\prime }=-\mathbf{Ex}$. The independent vector structures give $B=a^5$ and $A=-5a^3/3$. The disturbance for a sphere in a uniform straining Stokes flow isIt decays at infinity and satisfies no slip exactly at the sphere. Its leading far field is a stresslet, of velocity scale $E{a}^3/r^2$.

A force-free sphere in a linear background translates with ${\mathbf{U}}_0$, by Faxén's first law, and a couple-free sphere rotates with the background rigid-body rotation $\mathbf{\Omega }$, by Faxén's rotational law. Uniform translation and solid-body rotation can then be matched without disturbance. The remaining relative boundary velocity is exactly $-\mathbf{Ex}$. The Linearity of Stokes flow and Uniqueness of Stokes flow therefore give the same disturbance. The pure strain produces no resultant force or couple, by its symmetric degree-two angular structure.

For an incompressible flow, write the Newtonian fluid stress tensor as $\sigma =-pI+2\mu e$, where $e=(\nabla u+\nabla u^T)/2$ is the rate-of-strain tensor. The Stokes equation gives ${\partial }_j{\sigma }_{ij}=0$. Symmetry of the Cauchy stress tensor therefore givesIntegrating and applying the divergence theorem expresses the viscous dissipation as boundary power:At a moving rigid body, the surface velocity is $U+\Omega \times (x-x_c)$. Its boundary-power contribution is $U\cdot F+\Omega \cdot G$, with the force and torque evaluated using the fluid's outward normal vector. Both resultants vanish for a force-free, torque-free inclusion. Thus the new viscous dissipation comes entirely from the unchanged outer boundary velocity. Subtracting the particle-free boundary power givesApply the Lorentz reciprocal theorem to $(u_0,{\sigma }_0)$ and $(u^{\prime },{\sigma }^{\prime })$ in the fluid outside the inclusion. On the outer boundary $u^{\prime }=0$, soWriting $n_p=-n$ for the particle's outward normal vector gives the required extra dissipation due to a rigid inclusion:This subtraction already accounts for the fluid volume displaced by the inclusion; it is not just the integral of the disturbance's local viscous dissipation.

For the sphere, the ambient rate-of-strain tensor $E$ is symmetric and trace free. The sphere in a uniform straining Stokes flow has zero translational and rotational velocity: inversion symmetry eliminates its force, and symmetry of $E$ eliminates its torque. To derive the disturbance, put $r=|x|$, $Q=x\cdot Ex$ and seekThe incompressible flow condition and Stokes equation reduce toA decaying family satisfying these equations is $f=A{r}^{-5}$, $g=B{r}^{-5}-5A{r}^{-7}/2$, $j=2B{r}^{-5}$. The no-slip boundary condition requires $f(a)=-1$ and $g(a)=0$, so $A=-a^5$ and $B=-5a^3/2$. ConsequentlyThe total velocity is zero at $r=a$, and the disturbance decays as $r^{-2}$. The pressure constant has been set to zero. These boundary and far-field conditions, together with Uniqueness of Stokes flow, establish the solution. There is no rotational background in a pure strain flow.

On the sphere $u^{\prime }=-u_0=-aE{n}_p$. Contracting the supplied Newtonian fluid stress tensor with $n_p$ makes its two terms proportional to $(n_p\cdot E{n}_p)n_p$ cancel, leaving $\sigma n_p=5\mu E{n}_p$. Hence the extra dissipation due to a rigid inclusion isHere ${\int }_{S^2}{n}_j{n}_{k}d\Omega =4\pi {\delta }_{jk}/3$. Taking the large outer boundary limit only after using the fixed-boundary power identity avoids replacing that prescribed boundary by an uncontrolled boundary at infinity.

If $N_v$ denotes the number of spheres per unit volume, $N_v(4\pi a^3/3)=\varphi$. ThusAdd this to the particle-free viscous dissipation density $2\mu E:E$. Comparing with $2{\mu }_{\mathrm{eff}}E:E$ gives the Einstein viscosity formula for a dilute suspension:to first order in $\varphi$. The hydrodynamic interactions neglected here contribute beyond that dilute order.

Write $d_1={\rho }_0-{\rho }_1>0$, $d_2={\rho }_2-{\rho }_0>0$, and choose the common undisturbed interface pressure $P$. The hydrostatic pressure is $p_1=P-{\rho }_{1}gz$ in the upper fluid and $p_2=P-{\rho }_{2}gz$ in the lower fluid. Continuity of hydrostatic pressure across both current interfaces givesThus $h_1=d_{2}h/(d_1+d_2)$ and $h_2=-d_{1}h/(d_1+d_2)$. This isostatic depth partition of an interfacial current expresses local vertical buoyancy balance: a displaced column with an imbalance would move vertically until the partition was restored. With the hydrostatic pressure $P-{\rho }_{0}gz$ subtracted, the pressure within the current is $\Delta \rho gh$, whereThe equivalent body force is outward for a profile decreasing with $r$. Its magnitude is $\Delta \rho g|h_r|$; the derivative without an absolute value is a signed quantity.

For an ambient-controlled interfacial plug current, integrating the body force through depth gives radial force per area $O(\Delta \rho g{H}^2/R)$. The ambient Stokes flow varies over distance $R$, exerting traction $O(\mu u/R)$, so $u\sim \Delta \rho g{H}^2/\mu$. The current's internal shear supports the ambient traction with a velocity difference $\Delta u\sim (\mu u/R)H/(\lambda \mu )$; $\Delta u/u\sim H/(\lambda R)\ll 1$ requires $\lambda \gg H/R$. The force per area from its in-plane viscous extension is $O(\lambda \mu uH/R^2)$, negligible against ambient traction when $\lambda \ll R/H$. Together these give the viscosity window for an interfacial plug currentFixed volume gives $V\sim H{R}^2$, and the spreading velocity has the scale $\dot{R}$. Thus $\dot{R}\sim \Delta \rho g{V}^2/(\mu R^4)$ andChoosing $A$ so that $R=A{t}^{1/5}$ exactly, the similarity solution has $h=(V/A^2)t^{-2/5}F(\eta )$, $\eta =r/(A{t}^{1/5})$, and $u=A{t}^{-4/5}U(\eta )$. In radial conservation $h_t+r^{-1}(rhu{)}_r=0$, substitution gives $(\eta FU{)}^{\prime }=({\eta }^{2}F{)}^{\prime }/5$. Regularity and no source at the centre remove the integration constant. Therefore the radial plug velocity is linear:

For the disc-traction analogy for an interfacial current, subtract the imposed straining flow from the stationary-disc solution. The perturbation has velocity $-Er{\mathbf{e}}_r$ on the disc and zero far-field velocity. Reverse its sign: the resulting Stokes flow is driven by a radially expanding disc with velocity $Er{\mathbf{e}}_r$ in otherwise quiescent fluid. The background straining flow contributes no radial shear traction on $z=0$, so the given disc traction changes sign. This step uses Linearity of Stokes flow, Uniqueness of Stokes flow, and the no-slip boundary condition. The thin plug current has the same leading boundary velocity and hence the same ambient resistance. Each face contributes $-8\mu Er/[\pi \sqrt{R^2-r^2}]$; both faces must be counted. With $E=1/(5t)$, radial force balance isIntegrate with $h(R,t)=0$. The interfacial plug-current similarity profile isVolume integration gives $V=2\pi {\int }_0^{R}rhdr=4\pi H{R}^2/5$. Eliminating $H$ gives the full prefactor:The formal edge slope diverges, so a narrow edge region lies outside the thin-current approximation. Its traction and volume contributions are integrable, and this is a leading thin-current solution rather than a uniformly valid edge description.

For a diffusion-controlled solute gravity current, excess solute mass, not enriched-fluid volume, is conserved. At late times the effective mass density excess is proportional to solute concentration, so $\Delta \rho (t)R^{2}H\sim \Delta {\rho }_0{V}_0$, and $H\sim (Dt{)}^{1/2}$. The same ambient resistance scaling givesThis scaling does not determine a universal numerical prefactor. The mass diffusivity $D$ controls the growing depth, while dilution weakens buoyancy; assuming a fixed current volume would incorrectly retain the $t^{1/5}$ law. The thin-layer requirement becomes $(\mu D/(\Delta {\rho }_{0}g{V}_0){)}^{1/3}\ll 1$; when only dissolved solute changes the upper fluid, its viscosity is of order the ambient viscosity, consistent with the plug-current window.

Linearity of Stokes flow and rotational symmetry, including reflection in mathematics invariance of the spherical geometry, determine the possible rigid motions before any calculation. Translation is a polar vector; its linear dependence on a single vector $\mathbf{A}$ must be $c\mathbf{A}$. A traceless second-rank tensor $\mathbf{B}$ cannot produce a polar vector by an isotropic linear map: tensor contraction with the identity matrix vanishes and tensor contraction with the totally antisymmetric tensor vanishes because $\mathbf{B}$ is a symmetric second-rank tensor. Angular velocity is an axial vector. Neither $\mathbf{A}$ nor a symmetric $\mathbf{B}$ can produce one by an isotropic linear map. Products such as $\mathbf{A}\times \mathbf{BA}$ are excluded by Linearity of Stokes flow. Thus $\mathbf{\Omega }=0$.

Use the Unscaled Papkovich–Neuber representation, with harmonic functions $\mathbf{\Phi }$ and $\chi$:Indeed $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{u}=0$ and $\mu {\nabla }^2\mathbf{u}=\nabla p$ because each potential is a harmonic function. Put $r=|\mathbf{x}|$ and $S=\mathbf{x}\cdot \mathbf{Bx}$. The decaying harmonic functions with the necessary angular dependence are $\mathbf{A}\cdot \mathbf{x}/r^3$, $\mathbf{Bx}/r^3$ and $S/r^5$. The last is a harmonic function precisely because $\mathrm{tr}\mathbf{B}=0$. A $1/r$ Stokeslet is excluded by the force-free condition, and a rotlet by the torque-free condition. TryThe resulting Stokes flow isAt $r=a$, the coefficient of $\mathbf{n}(\mathbf{A}\cdot \mathbf{n})$ fixes $c=a^3/3$; the remaining constant vector gives $\mathbf{U}=-2\mathbf{A}/3$. In the $\mathbf{B}$ mode, matching $\mathbf{Bn}-(\mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{Bn})\mathbf{n}$ gives $e=a^4/2$ and $d=-a^2/2$. Therefore the complete two-mode tensorial squirmer flow isThe boundary condition is satisfied in the laboratory frame, so the Stokes flow tends to zero at infinity. The potential dipole in the $\mathbf{A}$ mode gives an irrotational flow and decays as $r^{-3}$; the leading $\mathbf{B}$ mode is a stresslet, decaying as $r^{-2}$. Neither carries a net force or torque. Direct surface integral averaging with the surface slip velocity formula gives the same translation, providing an independent check. Uniqueness of Stokes flow then identifies this decaying solution.

Write the angular dependence as $f(\varphi )={\sum }_{n\ge 1}{a}_n\sin n\varphi +{\sum }_{n\ge 0}{b}_n\cos n\varphi$, so $u^{\prime }=\sin \theta f(\varphi )e_{\varphi }$. In the spherical coordinate system, $n=e_r$ and $e_r\times e_{\varphi }=-e_{\theta }$, withThus the integral in the torque-free rotation of a spherical squirmer has componentsThe vanishing follows from north-south cancellation, including the potentially relevant first azimuthal harmonics. In the $z$ direction, orthogonality of complex exponentials givesConsequently every rotational component is determined:This assumes an integrable prescribed angular function, with the Fourier series convergent sufficiently to justify the surface integrals; a finite Fourier sum is enough for the construction below. Other harmonics can generate exterior flows even though they contribute no net rotation.

For flow-free rotation of a spherical squirmer, choose $b_0\ne 0$ and set every $a_n$ and every $b_n$ with $n\ge 1$ to zero. Then $u^{\prime }=b_0\sin \theta e_{\varphi }$, while the rigid-rotation velocity isThe total laboratory-frame boundary velocity is therefore zero everywhere. With fluid at rest at infinity, Uniqueness of Stokes flow givesA constant pressure supplies zero resultant force and torque, so this is consistent with free motion. The imposed surface actuation counter-rotates relative to the material sphere; no claim is being made that ordinary no-slip rigid rotation produces zero flow.

For each incompressible Stokes flow without body force, ${\partial }_j{\sigma }_{ij}=0$ andThe divergence theorem givesIncompressibility removes the pressure term, antisymmetric velocity-gradient parts do not contract with the symmetric stress, and the remaining integrand is $2\mu e_{ij}^{(1)}{e}_{ij}^{(2)}$, symmetric under $1\leftrightarrow 2$. This proves the Lorentz reciprocal theorem for Stokes flow:

By Linearity of Stokes flow, the drag on a translating body is linear in its velocity, so $F_i=A_{ij}{U}_j$. Apply the reciprocal theorem to two translation solutions with velocities ${\mathbf{U}}^{(1)}$ and ${\mathbf{U}}^{(2)}$. Their surface velocities are constant and the far-field contribution vanishes, yieldingSince the two vectors are arbitrary,Thus the hydrodynamic resistance matrix is symmetric and, for fixed fluid viscosity, depends only on body geometry.

A straight rod has fore-aft symmetry about its centre. Gravity acts through that centre, so the translational-rotational coupling and applied torque vanish. Kinematic reversibility of Stokes flow and Uniqueness of Stokes flow then rule out spontaneous rotation: the inclination $\theta$ remains constant.

Let the speed for perpendicular translation be $U_0$. The given factor of two makes the parallel speed $2U_0$ for the same force component. Resolving gravity parallel and perpendicular to the rod givesResolving these velocities horizontally and vertically givesTherefore

Reflect the configuration in a plane perpendicular to the tube axis. The geometry and radial displacement are unchanged, whereas the imposed pressure gradient and every axial velocity reverse. By kinematic reversibility of Stokes flow, a radial migration velocity would also have to reverse; the spatial reflection leaves that component unchanged. Uniqueness of Stokes flow therefore forces it to vanish. Reflection in the meridional plane through the two axes similarly excludes azimuthal drift, so $c$ remains constant.