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Updated: May 5, 2026

Investigating the Three-dimensional Flow Separation Induced by a Model Vocal Fold Polyp
Published on: February 3, 2014
Surface tension: floater clustering in a standing wave
G Falkovich1, A Weinberg, P Denissenko
1Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Abstract:
How do waves affect the distribution of small particles that float on water? Here we show that drifting small particles concentrate in either the nodes or antinodes of a standing wave, depending on whether they are hydrophilic or hydrophobic, as a result of a surface-tension effect that violates Archimedes' law of buoyancy. This clustering on waves may find practical application in particle separation and provides insight into the patchy distribution on water of, for example, plastic litter or oil slicks.
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