We present an experimental study of the inverse energy cascade, spectral condensation, and turbulent particle transport in an electromagnetically driven thin layer of NaCl electrolyte. The presence of the bottom friction provides an energy sink at large scales for the turbulent flow. This energy sink crucially contributes to the balance of the forcing and dissipation which makes the inverse cascade steady. The present work provides an estimation of the linear dissipation rate on an experimental basis. We also show how the dissipation rate affects the characteristic features of the velocity spectrum and the dynamics of the spectral condensation. A quantitative study of the turbulent diffusion shows a significant decrease of the radial transport during the spectral condensation process.

• Received 27 May 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.85.056315