Green's function for Stokes equation

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on the application of Green's functions to the Stokes equations in Cartesian coordinates, specifically for a point force. The equations are formulated as $$-\nabla \textbf{P} + \nu \nabla^2 \textbf{u} + \textbf{F}\delta(\textbf{x})=0$$ and $$\nabla \cdot \textbf{u}=0$$. The Green's function for the 3D Laplacian is identified as $$-1/(4 \pi r)$$, leading to the expression for pressure $$\textbf{P}= {-1/(4 \pi)} \int {1/r} \textbf{F} \cdot \nabla \delta(\textbf{x}) ds$$. The discussion concludes with the derivation of pressure and velocity fields in terms of the force vector and the Green's function.

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steve1763
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How do I reach the expression for pressure?
So I've just started learning about Greens functions and I think there is some confusion. We start with the Stokes equations in Cartesian coords for a point force.

$$-\nabla \textbf{P} + \nu \nabla^2 \textbf{u} + \textbf{F}\delta(\textbf{x})=0$$
$$\nabla \cdot \textbf{u}=0$$

We can apply the second relation to the first to get

$$- \nabla^2 \textbf{P} + \textbf{F} \cdot \nabla \delta(\textbf{x})=0 $$
$$\nabla^2 \textbf{P} = \textbf{F} \cdot \nabla \delta(\textbf{x}) $$

The Greens function for the 3D laplacian, according to Wikipedia, is $$-1 \over{4 \pi r}$$ where $$r=(x^2+y^2+z^2)^{1 \over 2}$$ Generally, with Greens functions

$$u(x)= \int G(x,s) f(s) ds$$

So would we get something like

$$\textbf{P}= {-1\over {4 \pi}} \int {1 \over r} \textbf{F} \cdot \nabla \delta(\textbf{x}) ds$$

I believe you might have to convert $$\delta(\textbf{x})={1\over{4 \pi r^2}}\delta(r)$$ I'm a little confused as to where to go next and how to deal with an integral that might have delta functions in it.

Thank you
 
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Pressure is a scalar quantity; it doesn't need a bold symbol.

The Green's function is used to decompose a non-homogenous linear problem L(u) = f into a superposition of problems L(G_{x_0}) = \delta(x - x_0) from which it follows that u(x) = \int f(x_0) G_{x_0}(x)\,dx_0. If we want the solution for a point source of strength k at x_1, then we get <br /> u(x) = \int k\delta(x_0 - x_1)G_{x_0}(x)\,dx_0 = kG_{x_1}(x) and we are looking for a constant multiple of the Green's function G_{x_1}.

To solve L(G_{x_0}) = \delta(x - x_0), we treat it as a homogenous problem L(G_{x_0}) = 0 subject to appropriate conditions on G_{x_0} and its derivatives.

In this case, we want P and \mathbf{u} to be linear in \mathbf{F} and we want -\nabla P + \mu\nabla^2 \mathbf{u} to be proportional to \nabla^2(1/r) with <br /> \int_{r \leq a} \nabla P - \mu \nabla^2 \mathbf{u}\,dV = \mathbf{F}. That leads us to \begin{split}<br /> P &amp;= \frac{1}{4\pi} \frac{\mathbf{F} \cdot \mathbf{r}}{r^3} = -\frac{1}{4\pi}\mathbf{F} \cdot \nabla\left(\frac1r\right),\\ <br /> \mathbf{u} &amp;= \frac{1}{8\pi\mu}\left(\frac{\mathbf{F}}{r} + \frac{(\mathbf{F} \cdot \mathbf{r})\mathbf{r}}{r^3}\right) = \frac{1}{8\pi \mu}\left(\frac{\mathbf{F}}{r} - (\mathbf{F} \cdot \mathbf{r}) \nabla\left(\frac1r\right)\right).\end{split}
 
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