On the non-persistence of irrotational motion in a viscous heat- conducting fluid (Q1102820)

We consider the possibility of irrotational flow in a fluid exterior to a moving rigid obstacle, or interior to a moving rigid shell. Observations show that when a rigid body is impulsively set into motion an irrotational flow may exist initially but does not persist. The breakup of this irrotational flow and the associated phenomenon of generation of vorticity at the wall are generally attributed to the condition of adherence at the fluid-solid interface. Since this condition itself is derived from observation, one can ask whether there is another explanation for the phenomenon. The purpose of this paper is to show that a persistent irrotational flow is incompatible with the second law of thermodynamics.