Spectral structure of small scales in turbulent Taylor-Couette flows*

We study the spectral structure of small-scale fluctuations in turbulent Taylor-Couette flows. In contrast to other canonical wall-bounded turbulent flows, e.g., pipe flows and boundary-layer flows, it is unclear if the spectral structure of fluctuations in Taylor-Couette flows is in accord with any theoretical framework. Using a combination of experiments and direct numerical simulations, we study the turbulent energy spectra in Taylor-Couette flows. Our results show that the spectral structure of small scales conforms to the predictions of Kolmogorov's phenomenological theory of turbulence.