a) Skeleton-averaged filament column density profile (black curve) with best-fit (magenta) Plummer-like function. The best-fit (blue) Gaussian function to the data (no fitting radius restriction) is shown relative to the final best Gaussian function representing the innermost regions of the profile (black dashed-curve) and the 40′′ telescope beam (green). Error bars show the dispersion of column density along the filament. The Gaussian-like inner regions of the profile (core component) can be separated from the wing component of the filament, associated with the (outer) power-law regions of the Plummer profile not accounted for by the Gaussian function. b) Sample of 20 best-fit Plummer-like models (normalised: N_H2= 1 at radial distance from filament centre R ≈ 0) with varying proportions of core and wing components.