THE DIPOLE

We analyse now the case of the so called hydrodynamic dipole, that results from the superposition of a source and a sink of equal intensity placed symmetrically with respect to the origin. The analogy with electromagnetism is evident. The magnetic field induced by a wire in which a current flows satisfies equations that are similar to those governing irrotational plane flows.

The complex potential of a dipole is

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if the source and the sink are positioned in (-a,0) and (a,0) respectively.

Stream lines are circles the center of which lies on the y axis and they converge obviously in the source and in the sink. Isopotential lines are circles the center of which lies on the x axis.