Capillary waves are small surface waves that occur on the interface of a fluid, primarily driven by surface tension. They are typically generated when a disturbance, such as wind or a small object, disturbs the surface of a liquid, leading to oscillations. The wavelength of capillary waves is generally short, typically on the order of a few centimeters, and they have periods that range from a fraction of a second to several seconds.
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A capillary wave is a free-surface wave for which surface tension supplies an essential restoring stress.