so i saw this article in wired about a fifth state of matter (really the sixth because they forgot about the bose-einstein condensate which was predicted 70 years before proven!). water droplets form as water falls because of surface tension. surface tension doesn't really work for something as "massive" as sand particles. apparently, sand "droplets" used to be explained as a result of sticky collisions, but this video shows that isn't necessarily the case.
according to the abstract from their publication in Nature, the authors believe the sand droplets form because of "a combination of van der Waals interactions and capillary bridges between nanometre-scale surface asperities." this video was shot with a high speed camera falling at a similar rate to the sand.
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I have been looking for a "go to" blog to keep me updated on the fast paced frantic world of developments in Van Der Waals forces. Now I have found such a blog!
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