1.I.5D

Fluid Dynamics
Part IB, 2007

A steady two-dimensional velocity field is given by

u(x,y)=(αxβy,βxαy),α>0,β>0\mathbf{u}(x, y)=(\alpha x-\beta y, \beta x-\alpha y), \quad \alpha>0, \quad \beta>0

(i) Calculate the vorticity of the flow.

(ii) Verify that u\mathbf{u} is a possible flow field for an incompressible fluid, and calculate the stream function.

(iii) Show that the streamlines are bounded if and only if α<β\alpha<\beta.

(iv) What are the streamlines in the case α=β?\alpha=\beta ?