3-D reconstruction of pre-characterized lithium and tungsten dust particle trajectories in NSTX

Abstract Calibrated amounts of 40 μm lithium dust and 10 μm tungsten powder have been dropped from above into the SOL of the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) to benchmark modeling of dust dynamics and transport. By combining the output from two visible-range fast cameras, 3-D trajectories are reliably obtained and have resulted in the generation of several hundred individual particle tracks. Particles are observed to undergo a variety of accelerations both parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field, as well as abrupt large-angle changes in direction. All tracks obtained to date display particle motion that is constrained to within a few centimeters of the last closed flux surface. The 3-D trajectories are presented and compared to the location of the last closed flux surface as determined by EFIT.