MINIMUM CONCENTRATION OF SURFACE-ACTIVE MATERIAL REQUIRED FOR DAMPINGOF CAPILLARY WAVES

It is shown that for low concentrations of surface-active and surface- inactive materials dissolved in a liquid, their effect on the behavior of capillary wave motion differs from the case of standard concentrat ions: the surface-active material does not cause the capillary wave da mping, while the surface-inactive material does not destroy the stabil ity of the free surface of the liquid. The presence of an electric cha rge on the fi ee surface of the liquid weakens the phenomenon. (C) 199 7 American Institute of Physics.