Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 March 2006
The low Reynolds number flow of a variable property gas past an infinite heated circular cylinder is studied when the temperature difference between the cylinder and the free stream is appreciable. The velocity field (and hence the drag on the cylinder) is calculated by the method of matched asymptotic expansions. It is found that the zero-order velocity field calculated on the Stokes approximation satisfies both the no slip condition at the cylinder and the uniform stream condition at infinity which is in strong contrast with the corresponding velocity field for incompressible slow flow past an unheated cylinder where the uniform stream condition at infinity cannot be satisfied. When the temperature of the cylinder is twice the temperature at infinity it is found that the drag on the cylinder is almost twice the drag on a similar unheated cylinder.