Liquid film flow due to an unsteady stretching sheet

We have studied two-dimensional flow of a thin liquid film over an impulsively stretching sheet under assumption of uniform initial film thickness. Using singular perturbation technique both momentum and film evolution equations are solved analytically for small Reynolds number and these solutions are verified numerically. Numerical computation for large Reynolds number shows an anomalous behaviour of film thinning rate in different time zone. These results are explained physically and the crucial role-played by viscosity in this case is highlighted. It is found that faster rate of thinning can be obtained if the sheet is stretched impulsively with continuously increasing stretching speed.