Howard,
You have given this some thought. I have not seen anything about "where" the small particles go after they are airborne. Because the small particles are talked about as most dangerous they are the prime target. I am thinking that sub 10 micron dust stays afloat longer than a 3" 2x4 cut off from the miter saw.
What do you mean by "You are trying to encourage circulation parallel to the floor/ceiling so ceiling mounting is not recommended." If what you mean is that you want dust to stay at its height and not settle to the floor below why would ceiling mounting not promote this? I might not understand what you mean by ceiling mounting.