title: Additive equivalence in turbulent drag reduction by flexible and rodlike polymers.
abstract: We address the additive equivalence discovered by Virk and co-workers: drag reduction affected by flexible and rigid rodlike polymers added to turbulent wall-bounded flows is limited from above by a very similar maximum drag reduction (MDR) asymptote. Considering the equations of motion of rodlike polymers in wall-bounded turbulent ensembles, we show that although the microscopic mechanism of attaining the MDR is very different, the macroscopic theory is isomorphic, rationalizing the interesting experimental observations.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica and INFN, Università Tor Vergata Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, I-00133 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benzi
authors.forename: Emily S C
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Ching
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Victor S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: L'vov
authors.forename: Itamar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Procaccia