Similarity solutions for flow and heat transfer of a quiescent fluid over a nonlinearly stretching surface

This paper presents a numerical analysis in connection with the boundary layer flow induced in a quiescent fluid by a stretching sheet with velocity u(w) (x) similar to x(1/3) along with heat transfer. The surface temperature is assumed to have a power-law variation. The viscous dissipation and thermal radiation are considered in the energy equation. The governing partial differential equations are converted into ordinary ones by a similarity transformation. The variations of dimensionless surface temperature as well as flow and heat transfer characteristics with the governing parameters are graphed and tabulated. Two cases are studied, namely, (i) the sheet with prescribed surface temperature (PST case) and (ii) the sheet with prescribed heat flux (PHF case). Similarity solutions of the aforementioned problem are given for two values of the surface temperature parameter m, namely, m = 2/3 in the PST case and m = 1/3 in the PHF case. Moreover, the mechanical characteristics of the corresponding flow are also presented. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.