Hydrodynamics of a sphere in a stratified fluid

The flow pattern around a sphere moving at constant velocity in a fluid with an exponential density distribution is investigated by optical methods. The thin density boundary layer forming the high-gradient envelope of the wake is distinguished as one of the elements of the structure. The symmetry properties of the flow are investigated. The limits of applicability of the traditional approximation of weak stratification in the problem of excitation of attached internal waves are noted.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 3–9, January–February, 1989.