New fluid-mechanics-based statistical models of a nominally linear towed-array's shape deformation

This paper develops new quasi-Bayesian statistical models for the geometric deformation of a nominally linear towed array, based on rigorous fluid mechanics. These models of will be expressed in terms of physically meaningful and measurable quantities, which may be calibrated using various empirical tow-array shape deformation studies for diverse oceanic and towing conditions. Towards this end, this paper (1) will advance new statistical models for the towing vessel's temporally correlated motion and the oceanic current's space-time correlated behavior, and (2) will show how such driving forces influence the towed array's fluid mechanics to produce the array's space-time shape deformation - with "space" referring to length along the array's nominal axis. This present analysis is more comprehensive than earlier works, which consider only the effects of temporally uncorrelated motion of the towing vessel and ignore the oceanic-current effects.