  The composite torsional ultrasonic oscillator, a versatile experimental
system, can be used to investigate slip of Newtonian fluid at a smooth surface.
A rigorous analysis of slip-dependent damping for the oscillator is presented.
Initially, the phenomenon of finite surface slip and the slip length are
considered for a half-space of Newtonian fluid in contact with a smooth,
oscillating solid surface. Definitions are revisited and clarified in light of
inconsistencies in the literature. We point out that, in general oscillating
flows, Navier's slip length b is a complex number. An intuitive velocity
discontinuity parameter of unrestricted phase is used to describe the effect of
slip on measurement of viscous shear damping. The analysis is applied to the
composite oscillator and preliminary experimental work for a 40 kHz oscillator
is presented. The Non-Slip Boundary Condition (NSBC) has been verified for a
hydrophobic surface in water to within ~60 nm of |b|=0 nm. Experiments were
carried out at shear rate amplitudes between 230 and 6800 /s, corresponding to
linear displacement amplitudes between 3.2 and 96 nm.
