Experimental quantification of inverse energy cascade in deep rotating turbulence

We experimentally study the characteristics of an inverse energy cascade in deep rotating turbulence. Experiments were performed in a rotating cylindrical water tank with energy injection at a small scale. The steady state energy spectrum of the horizontal velocity field at scales larger than the injection scale is very well described by the 2D inverse energy cascade spectrum. Transient energy spectra evolve via 2D-like inverse cascade, with energy transfer from small to large scales. The measured energy transfer rates are in good quantitative agreement with the predictions for 2D turbulence.