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Assignment 1, ME 521, F14

Due Friday 29 Aug 2014, by 6:30 pm
In-class Students: hard copy. On-Line Students: high-quality pdf uploaded to Dropbox

1. MATH. Prove that : 0 S R if S is a symmetric second rank tensor and R is an
antisymmetric second rank tensor.
Notation: [] : [] is vector notation for "tensor inner product" and produces a scalar if [] are
both second-rank tensors. (The dot product is a vector inner product where and [] [] is a
scalar if [] are both vectors, but is not a scalar if one or both of [] are tensors.) In the
Cartesian system, :
ij ji
S R S R .
2. In class I showed a photograph of trailing vortices coming off the tips of propellers (this
image is in a collection on Angel) and I explained that what you are seeing is water
condensation in the middle of the vortices. Water condenses where the temperature is
reduced below the dew point (the temperature below which vapor water condenses into
liquid water) or freezing point (below which crystals are formed). Temperature is a function
of pressure and, thermodynamically, when pressure is driven low enough (p < P*),
temperature drops below the dew point (T < T
dp
) and water vapor condenses (or crystalizes)
and you see it. Since we see the condensation in the vortices, the pressure must have
dropped below P* in the middle of the vortices at some radius r < R* and p > P* when r > R*.
Consider helical vortex in the photo stretched out into a linear vortex, somewhat idealized as
having circular cross section. Then the situation is as follows:










The reasoning above implies that 0
p
r

at
*
r R . Note that the streamlines around the vortex
are curved; in fact in this idealized vortex, the streamlines are circles. (Draw the cross section
and several circular streamlines.) Therefore, a cylindrical coordinate system is appropriate.)

Consider a fluid particle on a streamline at r = R*. Write down the Newton's law force balance
for the fluid particle, including the acceleration term and potentially relevant forces. Do this in
vector form using symbols for each force and acceleration (write in units of force per unit mass
or volume). Replace the pressure force, viscous force (for air at low Mach number) and gravity
force with appropriate forms in terms of velocity and pressure, again in vector form. In air (low
density), gravity force is negligible. Then write in cylindrical form for the idealized vortex above
(where velocity vectors are on circles), and prove that 0
p
r

at
*
r R .