Transition from dissipative to conservative dynamics in equations of hydrodynamics

We show, by using direct numerical simulations and theory, how, by increasing the order of dissipativity (α) in equations of hydrodynamics, there is a transition from a dissipative to a conservative system. This remarkable result, already conjectured for the asymptotic case α→∞ [U. Frisch et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 144501 (2008)], is now shown to be true for any large, but finite, value of α greater than a crossover value αcrossover. We thus provide a self-consistent picture of how dissipative systems, under certain conditions, start behaving like conservative systems and hence elucidate the subtle connection between equilibrium statistical mechanics and out-of-equilibrium turbulent flows.