Stokes stream function

drag force

F_d balances the force F_g propelling the object.

In

.

Cylindrical coordinates

Consider a

and ρ the distance to the z–axis. Then the flow velocity components u_ρ and u_z can be expressed in terms of the Stokes stream function ${\displaystyle \Psi }$ by:^[1]

${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}u_{\rho }&=-{\frac {1}{\rho }}\,{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial z}},\\u_{z}&=+{\frac {1}{\rho }}\,{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial \rho }}.\end{aligned}}}$

The azimuthal velocity component u_φ does not depend on the stream function. Due to the axisymmetry, all three velocity components ( u_ρ , u_φ , u_z ) only depend on ρ and z and not on the azimuth φ.

The volume flux, through the surface bounded by a constant value ψ of the Stokes stream function, is equal to 2π ψ.

Spherical coordinates

In

. In axisymmetric flow, with θ = 0 the rotational symmetry axis, the quantities describing the flow are again independent of the azimuth φ. The flow velocity components u_r and u_θ are related to the Stokes stream function ${\displaystyle \Psi }$ through:^[2]

${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}u_{r}&=+{\frac {1}{r^{2}\,\sin \theta }}\,{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial \theta }},\\u_{\theta }&=-{\frac {1}{r\,\sin \theta }}\,{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial r}}.\end{aligned}}}$

Again, the azimuthal velocity component u_φ is not a function of the Stokes stream function ψ. The volume flux through a stream tube, bounded by a surface of constant ψ, equals 2π ψ, as before.

Vorticity

The vorticity is defined as:

${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\omega }}=\nabla \times {\boldsymbol {u}}=\nabla \times \nabla \times {\boldsymbol {\psi }}}$, where ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\psi }}=-{\frac {\Psi }{r\sin \theta }}{\boldsymbol {\hat {\phi }}},}$

with ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\hat {\phi }}}}$ the unit vector in the ${\displaystyle \phi \,}$–direction.

Derivation of vorticity ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\omega }}}$ using a Stokes stream function

Consider the vorticity as defined by ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\omega }}=\nabla \times {\boldsymbol {u}}.}$ From the definition of the curl in spherical coordinates: ${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\omega _{r}&={1 \over r\sin \theta }\left({\partial \over \partial \theta }\left(u_{\phi }\sin \theta \right)-{\partial u_{\theta } \over \partial \phi }\right){\boldsymbol {\hat {r}}},\\\omega _{\theta }&={1 \over r}\left({1 \over \sin \theta }{\partial u_{r} \over \partial \phi }-{\partial \over \partial r}\left(ru_{\phi }\right)\right){\boldsymbol {\hat {\theta }}},\\\omega _{\phi }&={1 \over r}\left({\partial \over \partial r}\left(ru_{\theta }\right)-{\partial u_{r} \over \partial \theta }\right){\boldsymbol {\hat {\phi }}}.\end{aligned}}}$ First notice that the ${\displaystyle r}$ and ${\displaystyle \theta }$ components are equal to 0. Secondly substitute ${\displaystyle u_{r}}$ and ${\displaystyle u_{\theta }}$ into ${\displaystyle \omega _{\phi }.}$ The result is: ${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\omega _{r}&=0,\\\omega _{\theta }&=0,\\\omega _{\phi }&={1 \over r}\left({\partial \over \partial r}\left(r\left(-{\frac {1}{r\sin \theta }}{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial r}}\right)\right)-{\partial \over \partial \theta }\left({\frac {1}{r^{2}\sin \theta }}{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial \theta }}\right)\right).\end{aligned}}}$ Next the following algebra is performed: ${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\omega _{\phi }&={1 \over r}\left(-{\frac {1}{\sin \theta }}\left({\partial \over \partial r}\left({\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial r}}\right)\right)-{\frac {1}{r^{2}}}{\partial \over \partial \theta }\left({\frac {1}{\sin \theta }}{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial \theta }}\right)\right)\\&={1 \over r}\left(-{\frac {1}{\sin \theta }}\left({\frac {\partial ^{2}\Psi }{\partial r^{2}}}\right)-{\frac {\sin \theta }{r^{2}\sin \theta }}{\partial \over \partial \theta }\left({\frac {1}{\sin \theta }}{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial \theta }}\right)\right)\\&=-{\frac {1}{r\sin \theta }}\left({\frac {\partial ^{2}\Psi }{\partial r^{2}}}+{\frac {\sin \theta }{r^{2}}}{\partial \over \partial \theta }\left({\frac {1}{\sin \theta }}{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial \theta }}\right)\right).\end{aligned}}}$

As a result, from the calculation the vorticity vector is found to be equal to:

${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {\omega }}={\begin{pmatrix}0\\[1ex]0\\[1ex]\displaystyle -{\frac {1}{r\sin \theta }}\left({\frac {\partial ^{2}\Psi }{\partial r^{2}}}+{\frac {\sin \theta }{r^{2}}}{\partial \over \partial \theta }\left({\frac {1}{\sin \theta }}{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial \theta }}\right)\right)\end{pmatrix}}.}$

Comparison with cylindrical

The cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems are related through

${\displaystyle z=r\,\cos \theta \,}$   and   ${\displaystyle \rho =r\,\sin \theta .\,}$

Alternative definition with opposite sign

As explained in the general stream function article, definitions using an opposite sign convention – for the relationship between the Stokes stream function and flow velocity – are also in use.^[3]

Zero divergence

In cylindrical coordinates, the divergence of the velocity field u becomes:^[4]

${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\nabla \cdot {\boldsymbol {u}}&={\frac {1}{\rho }}{\frac {\partial }{\partial \rho }}{\Bigl (}\rho \,u_{\rho }{\Bigr )}+{\frac {\partial u_{z}}{\partial z}}\\&={\frac {1}{\rho }}{\frac {\partial }{\partial \rho }}\left(-{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial z}}\right)+{\frac {\partial }{\partial z}}\left({\frac {1}{\rho }}{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial \rho }}\right)=0,\end{aligned}}}$

as expected for an incompressible flow.

And in spherical coordinates:^[5]

${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\nabla \cdot {\boldsymbol {u}}&={\frac {1}{r\,\sin \theta }}{\frac {\partial }{\partial \theta }}(u_{\theta }\,\sin \theta )+{\frac {1}{r^{2}}}{\frac {\partial }{\partial r}}{\Bigl (}r^{2}\,u_{r}{\Bigr )}\\&={\frac {1}{r\,\sin \theta }}{\frac {\partial }{\partial \theta }}\left(-{\frac {1}{r}}{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial r}}\right)+{\frac {1}{r^{2}}}{\frac {\partial }{\partial r}}\left({\frac {1}{\sin \theta }}{\frac {\partial \Psi }{\partial \theta }}\right)=0.\end{aligned}}}$

Streamlines as curves of constant stream function

From calculus it is known that the gradient vector ${\displaystyle \nabla \Psi }$ is normal to the curve ${\displaystyle \Psi =C}$ (see e.g. Level set#Level sets versus the gradient). If it is shown that everywhere ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {u}}\cdot \nabla \Psi =0,}$ using the formula for ${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {u}}}$ in terms of ${\displaystyle \Psi ,}$ then this proves that level curves of ${\displaystyle \Psi }$ are streamlines.

Cylindrical coordinates

In cylindrical coordinates,

${\displaystyle \nabla \Psi ={\partial \Psi \over \partial \rho }{\boldsymbol {e}}_{\rho }+{\partial \Psi \over \partial z}{\boldsymbol {e}}_{z}}$.

and

${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {u}}=u_{\rho }{\boldsymbol {e}}_{\rho }+u_{z}{\boldsymbol {e}}_{z}=-{1 \over \rho }{\partial \Psi \over \partial z}{\boldsymbol {e}}_{\rho }+{1 \over \rho }{\partial \Psi \over \partial \rho }{\boldsymbol {e}}_{z}.}$

So that

${\displaystyle \nabla \Psi \cdot {\boldsymbol {u}}={\partial \Psi \over \partial \rho }(-{1 \over \rho }{\partial \Psi \over \partial z})+{\partial \Psi \over \partial z}{1 \over \rho }{\partial \Psi \over \partial \rho }=0.}$

Spherical coordinates

And in spherical coordinates

${\displaystyle \nabla \Psi ={\partial \Psi \over \partial r}{\boldsymbol {e}}_{r}+{1 \over r}{\partial \Psi \over \partial \theta }{\boldsymbol {e}}_{\theta }}$

and

${\displaystyle {\boldsymbol {u}}=u_{r}{\boldsymbol {e}}_{r}+u_{\theta }{\boldsymbol {e}}_{\theta }={1 \over r^{2}\sin \theta }{\partial \Psi \over \partial \theta }{\boldsymbol {e}}_{r}-{1 \over r\sin \theta }{\partial \Psi \over \partial r}{\boldsymbol {e}}_{\theta }.}$

So that

${\displaystyle \nabla \Psi \cdot {\boldsymbol {u}}={\partial \Psi \over \partial r}\cdot {1 \over r^{2}\sin \theta }{\partial \Psi \over \partial \theta }+{1 \over r}{\partial \Psi \over \partial \theta }\cdot {\Big (}-{1 \over r\sin \theta }{\partial \Psi \over \partial r}{\Big )}=0.}$

Notes

References

• ISBN 0-521-66396-2
  .
• ISBN 978-0-521-45868-9
  . Originally published in 1879, the 6th extended edition appeared first in 1932.
• Bibcode:1848TCaPS...7..439S.
  Reprinted in: Stokes, G.G. (1880). Mathematical and Physical Papers, Volume I. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1
  –16.