Paper, 'On the formation of coreless vortices by the motion of a solid through an inviscid incompressible fluid' by W [William] Thomson

Description

Thomson writes: 'Take the simplest case: let the moving solid be a globe, and let the fluid be of infinite extent in all directions. Let its pressure be of any given value, P, at infinite distances from the globe, and let the globe be kept moving with a given constant velocity, V. If the fluid keeps everywhere in contact with the globe, its velocity relatively to the globe at the equator (which is the place of greatest relative velocity) is 3/2 V. Hence, unless P> 5/8 V2, the fluid will not remain in contact with the globe.'

Annotations in pencil and ink throughout. Includes one diagram of a vortex.

Subject: Physics / Fluid dynamics

Received 1 February 1887. Read 3 February 1887.

A version of this paper was published in volume 42 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On the formation of coreless vortices by the motion of a solid through an inviscid incompressible fluid'.

Reference number

PP/10/11

Earliest possible date

1887

Physical description

Ink and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

18 pages

Format

Manuscript
Diagram