Investigating the momentum balance of a plasma pinch: an air-side stereoscopic imaging system for locating probes

The momentum balance of a plasma pinch in the Reconnection Scaling Experiment (RSX) is examined in three dimensions using several repositionable, insertable probes. A new camera-based system described here triangulates the locations of the probe tips so that their measurements are spatially registered. The optical system locates probes to within ±1.5 mm of their absolute 3D position in the vessel and to within ±0.7 mm relative to other probes, on the order of the electron inertial length (1-2 mm).