Contraction of Tensors

As shown above, the scalar product of a second-order tensor with a first-order one is a first-
order tensor or a vector. This operation is called contraction. The trace of a second-order
tensor is a tensor of zeroth order, which is a result of a contraction and is a scalar quantity.

(2.17)
As can be shown easily, the trace of a second-order tensor is the sum of the diagonal element
of the matrix Φij. If the tensor Φ itself is the result of a contraction of two second-order
tensors Π and D:

(2.18)
then the Tr ( Φ) is:

(2.19)
2.4 Differential Operators in Fluid Mechanics
In fluid mechanics, the particles of the working medium undergo a time-dependent or
unsteady motion. The flow quantities such as the velocity V and the thermodynamic
properties of the working substance such as pressure p, temperature T, density ρ, or any
arbitrary flow quantity Q are generally functions of space and time:

During the flow process, these quantities generally change with respect to time and space.
The following operators account for the substantial, spatial, and temporal changes of the
flow quantities.
2.4.1 Substantial Derivatives
The temporal and spatial change of the above quantities is described most appropriately by
the substantial or material derivative. Generally, the substantial derivative of a flow quantity
Q, which may be a scalar, a vector, or a tensor valued function, is given by:

(2.20)
The operator D represents the substantial or material change of the quantity Q, the first term
on the right-hand side of Eq. (2.20) represents the local or temporal change of the quantity Q
with respect to a fixed position vector x. The operator d symbolizes the spatial or convective
change of the same quantity with respect to a fixed instant of time. The convective change of
Q may be expressed as:

(2.21)
A simple rearrangement of the above equation results in:

(2.22)
Scalar multiplication of the expressions in the two parentheses of Eq. (2.22) results in Eq.
(2.21).