Paper 3, Section II, B

Fluid Dynamics
Part IB, 2014

A bubble of gas occupies the spherical region rR(t)r \leqslant R(t), and an incompressible irrotational liquid of constant density ρ\rho occupies the outer region rRr \geqslant R, such that as rr \rightarrow \infty the liquid is at rest with constant pressure pp_{\infty}. Briefly explain why it is appropriate to use a velocity potential ϕ(r,t)\phi(r, t) to describe the liquid velocity u.

By applying continuity of velocity across the gas-liquid interface, show that the liquid pressure (for rRr \geqslant R ) satisfies

pρ+12(R2R˙r2)21rddt(R2R˙)=pρ, where R˙=dRdt.\frac{p}{\rho}+\frac{1}{2}\left(\frac{R^{2} \dot{R}}{r^{2}}\right)^{2}-\frac{1}{r} \frac{d}{d t}\left(R^{2} \dot{R}\right)=\frac{p_{\infty}}{\rho}, \quad \text { where } \dot{R}=\frac{d R}{d t} .

Show that the excess pressure pspp_{s}-p_{\infty} at the bubble surface r=Rr=R is

psp=ρ2(3R˙2+2RR¨), where R¨=d2Rdt2p_{s}-p_{\infty}=\frac{\rho}{2}\left(3 \dot{R}^{2}+2 R \ddot{R}\right), \quad \text { where } \ddot{R}=\frac{d^{2} R}{d t^{2}}

and hence that

psp=ρ2R2ddR(R3R˙2)p_{s}-p_{\infty}=\frac{\rho}{2 R^{2}} \frac{d}{d R}\left(R^{3} \dot{R}^{2}\right)

The pressure pg(t)p_{g}(t) inside the gas bubble satisfies the equation of state

pgV4/3=Cp_{g} V^{4 / 3}=C

where CC is a constant, and V(t)V(t) is the bubble volume. At time t=0t=0 the bubble is at rest with radius R=aR=a. If the bubble then expands and comes to rest at R=2aR=2 a, determine the required gas pressure p0p_{0} at t=0t=0 in terms of pp_{\infty}.

[You may assume that there is contact between liquid and gas for all time, that all motion is spherically symmetric about the origin r=0r=0, and that there is no body force. You may also assume Bernoulli's integral of the equation of motion to determine the liquid pressure

pρ+ϕt+12ϕ2=A(t)\frac{p}{\rho}+\frac{\partial \phi}{\partial t}+\frac{1}{2}|\nabla \phi|^{2}=A(t)

where ϕ(r,t)\phi(r, t) is the velocity potential.]