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A set of numerical techniques for investigating the full nonlinear unstable behavior of low-β kink modes of given helical symmetry in tokamaks is presented. Uniform current density plasmas display complicated deformations including the formation of large vacuum bubbles provided that the safety factor q is sufficiently close to integral. Fairly large m=1 deformations, but not bubble formation, persist for a plasma with a parabolic current density profile (and hence shear). Deformations for m⩾2 are, however, greatly suppressed.
Rosenbluth et al. (Wed,) studied this question.