A fully spectral numerical code is used to explore the properties of voltage-driven dissipative magnetofluids inside a periodic cylinder with circular cross section. The trial functions are orthonormal eigenfunctions of the curl (Chandrasekhar-Kendall functions). Transitions are observed from axisymmetric resistive equilibria without flow to helically deformed laminar states with flow, and between pairs of helical laminar states with different pairs of poloidal and toroidal m and n numbers. States of minimum energy-dissipation rate seem to be preferred. At high values of the pinch ratio, fully developed magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is observed.

• Received 24 July 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.44.6800