Filament Velocity Research Articles

Melt flow analysis in rotational nozzle fused filament fabrication process

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a widely used processing method; however, heat transfer limitations within a conventional nozzle result in relatively low flow rates, leading to lengthy production times, compared to traditional processing methods, ultimately restricting its industrial application. Recently, a novel rotational nozzle FFF three-dimensional (3 D) printer has been patented and developed to enhance processing efficiency. Despite this achievement, the fundamental mechanisms behind this novel process remain unclear. In this study, both analytical analysis and numerical simulations were conducted based on a force-controlled scaled-down experimental setup. This setup, designed according to the pressure-induced melt removal theory, provided melt throughput data under varying heater temperatures, extrusion forces, and rotational speeds. Agreement between the modeling and experimental results confirms the generalizability of the models. Modeling predictions of temperature and velocity distributions indicate that viscous dissipation affects the average temperature and filament velocity. To simulate the real-world working conditions of FFF 3 D printing, a velocity-controlled simulation was introduced. It was observed that the average melt film thickness increases with nozzle rotational speed due to viscous dissipation. Additionally, the extrusion force required for the same printing speed decreases with increasing nozzle rotational speed, primarily due to the higher shear rate reducing melt viscosity.

<i>N</i>-terminal fragment of cardiac myosin binding protein C modulates cooperative mechanisms of the thin filament activation in the atria and ventricles

Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) is one of the essential control components of the myosin cross-bridge cycle. The C-terminal part of cMyBP-C lies on the surface of the thick filament, and its N-terminal part interacts with actin, myosin, and tropomyosin, affecting both the kinetics of the ATP hydrolysis cycle and the lifetime of the cross bridge, as well as the calcium regulation of actin-myosin interaction, thereby modulating the contractile function of the myocardium. The role of cMyBP-C in atrial contraction is poorly studied. We examined the effect of the N-terminal C0-m-C2 (C0-C2) fragment of cMyBP-C on actin-myosin interaction using ventricular and atrial myosin in anin vitromotility assay. The C0-C2 fragment of cMyBP-C significantly reduced the maximum sliding velocity of thin filaments on both myosin isoforms and increased the calcium sensitivity of actin-myosin interaction. The C0-C2 fragment had different effects on the kinetics of nucleotide, ATP, and ADP exchange, increasing the affinity of ventricular myosin for ADP and decreasing the affinity of atrial myosin. The effect of the C0-C2 fragment on the activation of the thin filament depended on the myosin isoforms. Atrial myosin activates the thin filament less strongly than ventricular myosin, and the C0-C2 fragment makes these differences in myosin isoforms more pronounced.

Cardiac Myosin and Thin Filament as Targets for Lead and Cadmium Divalent Cations.

Lead and cadmium are heavy metals widely distributed in the environment and contribute significantly to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Using Leadmium Green dye, we have shown that lead and cadmium enter cardiomyocytes, distributing throughout the cell. Using an invitro motility assay, we have shown that sliding velocity of actin and native thin filaments over myosin decreases with increasing concentrations of Pb2+ and Cd2+. Significantly lower concentrations of Pb2+ and Cd2+ (0.6mM) were required to stop sliding of thin filaments over myosin compared to the stopping actin sliding over the same myosin (1.1-1.6mM). Lower concentration of Cd2+ (1.1mM) needed to stop actin sliding over myosin compared to the Pb2++Cd2+ combination (1.3mM) and lead alone (1.6mM). There were no differences found in the effects of lead and cadmium cations on relative force developed by myosin heads or number of actin filaments bound to myosin. Sliding velocity of actin over myosin in the left atrium, right and left ventricles changed equally when exposed to the same dose of the same metal. Thus, we have demonstrated for the first time that Pb2+ and Cd2+ can directly affect myosin and thin filament function, with Cd2+ exerting a more toxic influence on myosin function compared to Pb2+.

Slender vortex filaments in the Boussinesq approximation

A model for the motion of slender vortex filaments is extended to include the effect of gravity. The model, initially introduced by Callegari and Ting [“Motion of a curved vortex filament with decaying vortical core and axial velocity,” SIAM J. Appl. Math. 35, 148–175 (1978)], is based on a matched asymptotic expansion in which the outer solution, given by the Biot–Savart law, is matched with the inner solution derived from the Navier–Stokes equations. Building on recent work by Harikrishnan et al. [“On the motion of hairpin filaments in the atmospheric boundary layer,” Phys. Fluids 35, 076603 (2023)], the Boussinesq approximation is applied such that the density variations only enter in the gravity term. However, unlike Harikrishnan et al. [“On the motion of hairpin filaments in the atmospheric boundary layer,” Phys. Fluids 35, 076603 (2023)], the density variation enters at a lower order in the asymptotic expansion and, thus, has a more significant impact on the self-induced velocity of the vortex filament. In this regime, which corresponds to the regime studied by Chang and Smith [“The motion of a buoyant vortex filament,” J. Fluid Mech. 857, R1 (2018)], the effect of gravity is given by an alteration of the core constant, which couples the motion of the filament to the motion within the vortical core, in addition to a change in the compatibility conditions (evolution equations), which determine the leading order azimuthal and tangential velocity fields in the vortex core. The results are used to explain certain properties of buoyant vortex rings, as well as qualitatively explore the impact of gravity on tornado-type atmospheric vortices.

Developing an Automated Detection, Tracking, and Analysis Method for Solar Filaments Observed by CHASE via Machine Learning

Studies on the dynamics of solar filaments have significant implications for understanding their formation, evolution, and eruption, which are of great importance for space weather warning and forecasting. The Hα Imaging Spectrograph (HIS) on board the recently launched Chinese Hα Solar Explorer (CHASE) can provide full-disk solar Hα spectroscopic observations, which bring us an opportunity to systematically explore and analyze the plasma dynamics of filaments. The dramatically increased observation data require automated processing and analysis, which are impossible if dealt with manually. In this paper, we utilize the U-Net model to identify filaments and implement the Channel and Spatial Reliability Tracking algorithm for automated filament tracking. In addition, we use the cloud model to invert the line-of-sight velocity of filaments and employ the graph theory algorithm to extract the filament spine, which can advance our understanding of the dynamics of filaments. The favorable test performance confirms the validity of our method, which will be implemented in the following statistical analyses of filament features and dynamics of CHASE/HIS observations.

Filamentary velocity scaling validation and spin dynamics in the DIII-D tokamak

Measured filament velocities in the DIII-D tokamak are compared against theoretical scalings, finding that the latter often represents an upper limit on experimental velocity distributions with most filaments possessing lower velocity. Filament spin from internal E × B drift is experimentally demonstrated to alter filament radial velocity. A critical spin velocity, where filament radial velocity peaks, is observed and corresponds to approximately 5 km/s. This transition is corroborated using a less direct measure of filament spin in the form of a temperature ratio. These techniques are combined to find that the critical spin velocity closely aligns with transport times along and across filaments becoming comparable. The normalized filament size distribution is consistent with the most stable size as dictated by Kelvin–Helmholtz and curvature-driven instabilities. Overall, the findings suggest filament stability and spin alter filamentary transport that may threaten the integrity of first walls in fusion devices.

Mechanical interaction of myosin and native thin filament in the disused rat soleus muscle

The disuse of skeletal limb muscles occurs in a variety of conditions, yet our comprehension of the molecular mechanisms involved in adaptation to disuse remains incomplete. We studied the mechanical characteristics of actin-myosin interaction using an in vitro motility assay and isoform composition of myosin heavy and light chains by dint of SDS-PAGE in soleus muscle of both control and hindlimb-unloaded rats. 14 days of hindlimb unloading led to the increased maximum sliding velocity of actin, reconstituted, and native thin filaments over rat soleus muscle myosin by 24 %, 19 %, and 20 %, respectively. The calcium sensitivity of the “pCa-velocity” relationship decreased. There was a 26 % increase in fast myosin heavy chain IIa (MHC IIa), a 22 % increase in fast myosin light chain 2 (MLC 2f), and a 13 % increase in fast MLC 1f content. The content of MLC 1s/v, typical for slow skeletal muscles and cardiac ventricles did not change. At the same time, MLC 1s, typical only for slow skeletal muscles, disappeared. The maximum velocity of soleus muscle native thin filaments was 24 % higher compared to control ones sliding over the same rabbit myosin. Therefore, both myosin and native thin filament kinetics could influence the mechanical characteristics of the soleus muscle. Additionally, the MLC 1s and MLC 1s/v ratio may contribute to the mechanical characteristics of slow skeletal muscle, along with MHC, MLC 2, and MLC 1 slow/fast isoforms ratio.

N-Terminal Fragment of Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C Modulates Cooperative Mechanisms of Thin Filament Activation in Atria and Ventricles.

Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) is one of the essential control components of the myosin cross-bridge cycle. The C-terminal part of cMyBP-C is located on the surface of the thick filament, and its N-terminal part interacts with actin, myosin, and tropomyosin, affecting both kinetics of the ATP hydrolysis cycle and lifetime of the cross-bridge, as well as calcium regulation of the actin-myosin interaction, thereby modulating contractile function of myocardium. The role of cMyBP-C in atrial contraction has not been practically studied. We examined effect of the N-terminal C0-C1-m-C2 (C0-C2) fragment of cMyBP-C on actin-myosin interaction using ventricular and atrial myosin in an in vitro motility assay. The C0-C2 fragment of cMyBP-C significantly reduced the maximum sliding velocity of thin filaments on both myosin isoforms and increased the calcium sensitivity of the actin-myosin interaction. The C0-C2 fragment had different effects on the kinetics of ATP and ADP exchange, increasing the affinity of ventricular myosin for ADP and decreasing the affinity of atrial myosin. The effect of the C0-C2 fragment on the activation of the thin filament depended on the myosin isoforms. Atrial myosin activates the thin filament less than ventricular myosin, and the C0-C2 fragment makes these differences in the myosin isoforms more pronounced.

Effects of blebbistatin on force production, actin motility and the force-velocity relation produced by myosin II filaments and myofibrils.

Blebbistatin is a myosin II-specific inhibitor that is often used to study the relation between force generation and Pi release. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of blebbistatin on force production and the actin motility while interacting with arrays of myosin motors. We used myosin filaments isolated from mammalian smooth muscles, rabbit psoas and the anterior byssus retractor (ABRM) muscles extracted from fresh Mytilus edulis in different experiments. We also used whole myofibrils isolated from the rabbit psoas. The force during myosin-actin interactions was measured with a system of micro-fabricated cantilevers, and the sliding velocity of actin was measured with a standard in-vitro motility assay. The force-velocity relation was measured in myofibrils with atomic force cantilevers. The force produced by the myosin filaments upon interaction with actin decreased with increasing concentrations of blebbistatin (5 μM-12.5 μM). The force produced by smooth and skeletal muscle myosin filaments were 95.93 ± 12.05 pN/μm before blebbistatin treatment, 71.45 ± 5.94 pN/μm with 5 μm blebbistatin, 62.05 ± 9.44 pN/μm with 7.5 μM blebbistatin, 38.28 ± 8.77 pN/μm with 10 μm blebbistatin and dropped to zero with 12.5 μM blebbistatin. All these differences were significantly different (p<0.0001). Sliding velocity of actin filaments also decreased consistently with increasing concentrations of blebbistatin. Before treatment, filaments slid over HMM at 3.68 ± 0.06 μm/s, decreasing to 2.30 ± 0.056 μm/s with 1 μM, 1.27 ± 0.043 μm/s with 5 μM, and 1.44 ± 0.032 μm/s with 30 μM. The maximal velocity decrease was observed at 5 μM of blebbistatin. These differences were significantly different (P<0.0001). There was a downward shift in the force-velocity relation in myofibrils treated with blebbistatin. These results suggest that blebbistatin regulates the mechanics of myosin motors working collectively in different experimental preparations.

Molecular mechanics of E525K dilated cardiomyopathy mutant human cardiac myosin.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is associated with point mutations in beta-cardiac myosin and characterized by cardiac hypo-contractility. Myocardial power generation can be tuned by modulation of the number of functionally available myosin motors through myosin's ability to adopt an autoinhibited “super relaxed” state (SRX). Therefore, hypo-contractility of DCM hearts may result from: 1) reduced function of individual myosin heads, and/or 2) decreased myosin availability through increased SRX stabilization. To define the molecular impact of an established DCM myosin mutation, E525K, we expressed both wildtype (WT) and E525K myosin in several GFP-tagged human cardiac myosin constructs. We then determined actin filament velocity versus myosin surface density (GFP fluorescence) in the in vitro motility assay (1 mM ATP, 25 mM KCl, 30oC). The SRX state is thought to be stabilized by intramolecular head-tail interactions, which is where the E525K mutation exists. Accordingly, myosin constructs incapable of these interactions, such as single headed (S1) and short-tailed, double-headed myosin (heavy meromyosin with 2-heptad tail) constructs generated similarly fast velocities (2298±298 nm/s and 2352±234 nm/s, respectively). At the same myosin density, longer-tailed, SRX-capable constructs generated progressively slower velocities: 961±379 nm/s with a 15-heptad tail and 635±195 nm/s with a 25-heptad tail. These SRX-capable myosin constructs required 4-fold more myosin surface density to generate velocity equivalent to non-SRX constructs. Therefore, we propose that the 15- and 25-heptad constructs adopt the SRX state with a 75% probability. Unexpectedly, the E525K had no apparent impact on velocity, suggesting that under the low salt, unloaded in vitro motility assay conditions, the E525K mutation does not alter ensemble motor function. However, power generation is dependent on both force (F) and velocity (V), so future measurements of F:V relationships may uncover the true impact of this DCM myosin mutation.

Определение параметров филаментов на сферическом токамаке Глобус-М2 с помощью метода допплеровского обратного рассеяния

In improved confinement (in H-mode) in the Globus-M2 tokamak, the development of edge-localized modes (ELMs) is accompanied by the appearance of filament structures. The use of the Doppler backscattering (DBS) method allowed to determine filament parameters both during ELMs triggered by sawtooth crashes and during independent ELMs. It is shown that the number of filaments observed during synchronized ELMs is greater and their area of observation is wider. The velocity of the filaments during all types of ELMs observed on Globus-M2 ELM is higher than on the previous tokamak Globus-M. Filaments developing immediately before an ELM burst are characterized by smaller amplitudes and velocities. Comparing the results of two diagnostic techniques, DBS and poloidal correlation Doppler reflectometry, to determine the velocity of such filaments, shows a similarity of the measured values, which may indicate linear scattering off these filaments.

Contraction velocity of viscoelastic filaments

Filaments or elongated drops are common in daily life, nature, and technological applications. They contract due to surface tension. It is known from experiments that the velocity at which their tips retract can be increased in viscoelastic filaments that contain polymer additives. Here, it is shown from simulations that the velocity with which the tips of prestressed filaments retract is greatly increased compared to filaments in which the polymer molecules are relaxed. The enhancement can be understood in terms of a quantity that is positive when the flow does work on the polymer molecules but negative when the molecules do work on the flow, i.e. when elastic recoiling or unloading takes place.

De Novo Asp219Val Mutation in Cardiac Tropomyosin Associated with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), caused by mutations in thin filament proteins, manifests as moderate cardiac hypertrophy and is associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD). We identified a new de novo variant, c.656A>T (p.D219V), in the TPM1 gene encoding cardiac tropomyosin 1.1 (Tpm) in a young SCD victim with post-mortem-diagnosed HCM. We produced recombinant D219V Tpm1.1 and studied its structural and functional properties using various biochemical and biophysical methods. The D219V mutation did not affect the Tpm affinity for F-actin but increased the thermal stability of the Tpm molecule and Tpm-F-actin complex. The D219V mutation significantly increased the Ca2+ sensitivity of the sliding velocity of thin filaments over cardiac myosin in an in vitro motility assay and impaired the inhibition of the filament sliding at low Ca2+ concentration. The molecular dynamics (MD) simulation provided insight into a possible molecular mechanism of the effect of the mutation that is most likely a cause of the weakening of the Tpm interaction with actin in the "closed" state and so makes it an easier transition to the “open” state. The changes in the Ca2+ regulation of the actin-myosin interaction characteristic of genetic HCM suggest that the mutation is likely pathogenic.

Pseudo-phosphorylation of essential light chains affects the functioning of skeletal muscle myosin

The work aimed to investigate how the phosphorylation of the myosin essential light chain of fast skeletal myosin (LC1) affects the functional properties of the myosin molecule. Using mass-spectrometry, we revealed phosphorylated peptides of LC1 in myosin from different fast skeletal muscles. Mutations S193D and T65D that mimic natural phosphorylation of LC1 were produced, and their effects on functional properties of the entire myosin molecule and isolated myosin head (S1) were studied. We have shown that T65D mutation drastically decreased the sliding velocity of thin filaments in an in vitro motility assay and strongly increased the duration of actin-myosin interaction in optical trap experiments. These effects of T65D mutation in LC1 observed only with the whole myosin but not with S1 were prevented by double T65D/S193D mutation. The T65D and T65D/S193D mutations increased actin-activated ATPase activity of S1 and decreased ADP affinity for the actin-S1 complex. The results indicate that pseudo-phosphorylation of LC1 differently affects the properties of the whole myosin molecule and its isolated head. Also, the results show that phosphorylation of LC1 of skeletal myosin could be one more mechanism of regulation of actin-myosin interaction that needs further investigation.

Properties of Cardiac Myosin with Cardiomyopathic Mutations in Essential Light Chains

The effects of cardiomyopathic mutations E56G, M149V, and E177G in the MYL3 gene encoding essential light chain of human ventricular myosin (ELCv), on the functional properties of cardiac myosin and its isolated head (myosin subfragment 1, S1) were investigated. Only the M149V mutation upregulated the actin-activated ATPase activity of S1. All mutations significantly increased the Ca2+-sensitivity of the sliding velocity of thin filaments on the surface with immobilized myosin in the in vitro motility assay, while mutations E56G and M149V (but not E177G) reduced the sliding velocity of regulated thin filaments and F-actin filaments almost twice. Therefore, despite the fact that all studied mutations in ELCv are involved in the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the mechanisms of their influence on the actin–myosin interaction are different.

Internal rotation of ELM filaments on NSTX

Edge localized modes (ELMs) are a threat to tokamaks due to their high heat and particle loads on plasma facing components. A significant portion of this energy is carried and deposited by the emerging ELM filaments, whose dynamics are directly connected to their impact. Therefore, understanding their underlying physics is important for the operation of future fusion reactors. Our paper extends our knowledge of ELM filaments by reporting on their internal rotation (spinning) around the magnetic field lines along which they are extended. Our analysis of gas-puff imaging data on National Spherical Torus Experiment shows that ELM filaments are characterized by internal rotation in the direction of the ion-gyromotion with ω=15.2 krad/s median angular velocity, which is approximately three times faster than the blob rotation in the background turbulence. The characteristic size of the ELM filament was also assessed and found to be similar to the blobs. A nearly linear trend was found between the angular velocity and the radial velocity of the ELM filament. The angular velocity was found to be linearly dependent on the distance of the filament from the separatrix, as well. An analytical model called the shear-induced rotation model was identified as a candidate for explaining the physics of the observations. Our results show that the modeled mechanism could significantly influence the rotation of the ELM filament; however, it cannot be a sole contributor.

Possible Explosive Dispersal Outflow in IRAS 16076-5134 Revealed with ALMA

We present 0.9 mm continuum and CO(3–2) line emission observations retrieved from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array archive toward the high-mass star formation region IRAS 16076-5134. We identify 14 dense cores with masses between 0.3 and 22 M ☉. We find an ensemble of filament-like CO(3–2) ejections from −62 to +83 km s−1 that appear to arise radially from a common central position, close to the dense core MM8. The ensemble of filaments has a quasi-isotropic distribution in the plane of the sky. The radial velocities of several filaments follow a linear velocity gradient, increasing from a common origin. Considering the whole ensemble of filaments, we estimate the total mass to be 138 and 216 M ☉, from its CO emission, for 70 K and 140 K, respectively. Also, assuming a constant velocity expansion for the filaments (of 83 km s−1), we estimate the dynamical age of the outflowing material (3500 yr), its momentum (∼104 M ☉ km s−1), and its kinetic energy (∼1048–49 erg). The morphology and kinematics presented by the filaments suggest the presence of a dispersal outflow with explosive characteristics in IRAS 16076-5134. In addition, we make a raw estimate of the lower limit of the frequency rate of the explosive dispersal outflows in the galaxy (one every 110 yr), considering a constant star formation rate and efficiency, with respect to the galactocentric radius of the galaxy. This may imply a comparable rate between dispersal outflows and supernovae (approximately one every 50 yr), which may be important for the energy budget of the and the link between dispersal outflows and high-mass star formation.

Using Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching data to uncover filament dynamics.

Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) has been extensively used to understand molecular dynamics in cells. This technique when applied to soluble, globular molecules driven by diffusion is easily interpreted and well understood. However, the classical methods of analysis cannot be applied to anisotropic structures subjected to directed transport, such as cytoskeletal filaments or elongated organelles transported along microtubule tracks. A new mathematical approach is needed to analyze FRAP data in this context and determine what information can be obtain from such experiments. To address these questions, we analyze fluorescence intensity profile curves after photobleaching of fluorescently labelled intermediate filaments anterogradely transported along microtubules. We apply the analysis to intermediate filament data to determine information about the filament motion. Our analysis consists of deriving equations for fluorescence intensity profiles and developing a mathematical model for the motion of filaments and simulating the model. Two closed forms for profile curves were derived, one for filaments of constant length and one for filaments with constant velocity, and three types of simulation were carried out. In the first type of simulation, the filaments have random velocities which are constant for the duration of the simulation. In the second type, filaments have random velocities which instantaneously change at random times. In the third type, filaments have random velocities and exhibit pausing between velocity changes. Our analysis shows: the most important distribution governing the shape of the intensity profile curves obtained from filaments is the distribution of the filament velocity. Furthermore, filament length which is constant during the experiment, had little impact on intensity profile curves. Finally, gamma distributions for the filament velocity with pauses give the best fit to asymmetric fluorescence intensity profiles of intermediate filaments observed in FRAP experiments performed in polarized migrating astrocytes. Our analysis also shows that the majority of filaments are stationary. Overall, our data give new insight into the regulation of intermediate filament dynamics during cell migration.

X-point and divertor filament dynamics from gas puff imaging on TCV

A new gas puff imaging diagnostic has been installed on the TCV tokamak, providing two-dimensional insights into scrape-off-layer (SOL) turbulence dynamics above, at and below the magnetic X-point. A detailed study in L-mode, attached, lower single-null discharges shows that statistical properties have little poloidal variations, while vast differences are present in the 2D behaviour of intermittent filaments. Strongly elongated filaments, just above the X-point and in the divertor far-SOL, show a good consistency in shape and dynamics with field-line tracing from filaments at the outboard midplane, highlighting their connection. In the near-SOL of the outer divertor leg, short-lived, high frequency and more circular (diameter ∼15 sound Larmor radii) filaments are observed. These divertor-localised filaments appear born radially at the position of maximum density and display a radially outward motion with velocity ≈400 m s−1 that is comparable to radial velocities of upstream-connected filaments. Conversely, in these discharges ( pointing away from the divertor), these divertor filaments’ poloidal velocities differ strongly from those of upstream-connected filaments. The importance of divertor-localised filaments upon radial transport and profile broadening is explored using filament statistics and in situ kinetic profile measurements along the divertor leg. This suggests that these filaments contribute significantly to electron density profile broadening in the divertor.

Cross-field and parallel dynamics of SOL filaments in TCV

Using recently installed scrape-off layer diagnostics on the tokamak à configuration variable, we characterise the poloidal and parallel properties of turbulent filaments. We access both attached and detached divertor conditions across a wide range of core densities (f G ∈ [0.09, 0.66]) in diverted L-mode plasma configurations. With a gas puff imaging (GPI) diagnostic at the outer midplane we observed filaments with a monotonic increase in radial velocity (from 390 m s−1 to 800 m s−1) and cross-field radii (from 8.5 mm to 13.4 mm) with increasing core density. Interpreting the filament behaviour in the context of the two-region model by Myra et al (2006 Phys. Plasmas 13 112502), we find that they populate the ideal-interchange regime (C i) in discharges at very low densities, and the resistive X (RX)-point regime for all other discharges. The scaling of filament velocity versus size shows good agreement with this interpretation. These results are discussed and compared with previous probe-based measurements for similar conditions, which mostly placed filaments in TCV in the resistive ballooning (RB) regime (Tsui et al 2018 Phys. Plasmas 25 072506). In addition, for the first time in TCV, the parallel filament extension is studied by magnetically aligning the GPI measurements at the outboard midplane with a reciprocating probe in the divertor. In agreement with the filaments being in the ideal-interchange and the RX-point regimes, they are found to extend beyond the X-point into the outer divertor leg.