Anomalous self-similarity in a turbulent rapidly rotating fluid

Our velocity measurements on quasi-two-dimensional turbulent flow in a rapidly rotating annulus yield self-similar (scale-independent) probability distribution functions for longitudinal velocity differences, deltav(l) = v(x + l) - v(x). These distribution functions are strongly non-Gaussian, suggesting that the coherent vortices play a significant role. The structure functions ([deltav(l)](p)) similar to l(zetap) exhibit anomalous scaling: zeta(p) = p/2 rather than the expected zeta(p) = p/3. Correspondingly, the energy spectrum is described by E(k) similar to k(-2) rather than the expected E(k) similar to k(-5/3).