| Abstract: | The theory of creeping motion is used to study the relaxation of an infinite viscous fluid layer (membrane) of nonuniform thickness. The propagation of boundary perturbations in a semi-infinite layer under the action of surface-tension forces is also considered. The layer has at least one common boundary with a gas. It is found that relaxation processes of an infinite layer or the propagation of boundary perturbations inside a bounded layer are non-monotonic, and that wave-like surface perturbations always arise. Relaxation times are determined. Maximum distances are found over which separate regions of the layer can affect each other.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Mekhaniki i Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 73–77, January–February, 1970.The author wishes to thank V. G. Levich for discussions. |
