Inertial wave turbulence in rotating flows

For over two decades, wave turbulence theory has predicted an anisotropic forward energy cascade in rotating turbulence. Yet its validity remained uncertain in free conditions, due to the dominance of large-scale quasi-2D flows that obscure the weak wave interactions. In this work, I will present experimental evidence for this spectrum by decomposing the velocity field into 2D and 3D components, allowing to isolate the inertial wave turbulence flow from the large-scale flow. This reveals a previously hidden forward cascade, confirming the long-standing theoretical prediction. The results demonstrate that rotating turbulence supports a dual cascade: an inverse cascade in the quasi 2D flow and a forward anisotropic wave cascade in the 3D flow.