An experimental determination of the slow motion of a sphere in a rotating, viscous fluid

Abstract

The drag of a sphere has been measured as it moves along the axis of a rotating, viscous fluid. Rotation has been found to modify the classical low-Reynolds-number flow so that the drag is increased and the effects of finite Reynolds number, R , and of wall proximity are reduced as the rotation parameter, the Taylor number T , increases. The results confirm the theory of Childress (1963, 1964) when both Reynolds number and Taylor number are small. The rate at which the sphere rotates with respect to the rotating fluid frame has also been measured and was found to be less than the values calculated by Childress (1964) for small T and R , but to approach the theoretical values in a reasonable way.