Аннотация:We numerically study the dynamics of the formation of optical vortex fromcollimated Gaussian beam behind a spiral phase plate, and assess the characteristicscale of azimuthal instability developing in a Kerr medium. The near zero valuesof intensity on axes arise shortly after the plate but the ring profile is formed at thedistance of approximately half of the diffraction length. The break-up of the vortexinto several hot spots in the Kerr medium is more rapid for the large-scale noise. Thetransformation of the vortex spatial spectrum is analyzed along with changes in itsphase profile. The interference of the self-focusing mode and the radiation extendingto the periphery leads to the formation of rings in the beam spectrum.