Turbulence-Condensate Interaction in Two Dimensions

H. Xia, H. Punzmann, G. Falkovich, M. G. Shats
2008 Physical Review Letters  
We present experimental results on turbulence generated in thin fluid layers in the presence of a large-scale coherent flow, or a spectral condensate. It is shown that the condensate modifies the third-order velocity moment in a much wider interval of scales than the second one. The modification may include the change of sign of the third moment in the inverse cascade. This observation may help resolve a controversy on the energy flux in mesoscale atmospheric turbulence (10-500 km): to recover
more » ... correct energy flux from the third velocity moment one needs first to subtract the coherent flow. We find that the condensate also increases the velocity flatness.
doi:10.1103/physrevlett.101.194504 pmid:19113273 fatcat:wmvypcjwrza5rl2un3fuvhxixq