Polymer effects on small- and large-scale two-dimensional turbulence

We investigate the effect of dilute polymers on driven two-dimensional turbulence in a soap film. Transitions from strong to weak turbulence are identified by independently varying the polymer concentration and the energy injection rate εinj. Studies of velocity structures in small scales reveal that strong saddles are suppressed, whereas weak ones become more populated. Interestingly, this redistribution of saddle points in turbulent flows strongly correlates with the quenching of velocity fluctuations on large scales, suggesting that this hydrodynamic structure may play a role in transferring energy from scale to scale.