Steps to reproduce:

1. Open attached project

2. Open SampleScene from Assets/Scenes directory

3. Open "New VFX", if not already open and dock it so both vfx graph and scene view windows would be visible

4. In visual effects graph window, connect "Output Particle Unlit Quad" node to the "Update Particle" node in "Burst" node group

5. Disconnect "Output Particle URP List Mesh" node from the same node group

6. Enter playmode

Actual results: Exception is thrown:

NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
UnityEditor.VFX.VFXAbstractParticleOutput.HasStrips (System.Boolean data) (at ./Library/PackageCache/com.unity.visualeffectgraph/Editor/Models/Contexts/VFXAbstractParticleOutput.cs:239)
_UnityEditor.VFX.VFXAbstractParticleOutput.get_isRayTraced () (at ./Library/PackageCache/com.unity.visualeffectgraph/Editor/Models/Contexts/VFXAbstractParticleOutput.cs:139)_
UnityEditor.VFX.VFXAbstractParticleOutput.GenerateErrors (UnityEditor.VFX.VFXErrorReporter report) (at ./Library/PackageCache/com.unity.visualeffectgraph/Editor/Models/Contexts/VFXAbstractParticleOutput.cs:898)
UnityEditor.VFX.VFXShaderGraphParticleOutput.GenerateErrors (UnityEditor.VFX.VFXErrorReporter report) (at ./Library/PackageCache/com.unity.visualeffectgraph/Editor/ShaderGraph/VFXShaderGraphParticleOutput.cs:217)
UnityEditor.VFX.VFXErrorReporter.GenerateErrors () (at ./Library/PackageCache/com.unity.visualeffectgraph/Editor/Models/VFXErrorManager.cs:155)
UnityEditor.VFX.VFXErrorManager.GenerateErrors () (at ./Library/PackageCache/com.unity.visualeffectgraph/Editor/Models/VFXErrorManager.cs:48)
UnityEditor.VFX.VFXGraph.RecompileIfNeeded (System.Boolean preventRecompilation, System.Boolean preventDependencyRecompilation) (at ./Library/PackageCache/com.unity.visualeffectgraph/Editor/Models/VFXGraph.cs:1467)
UnityEditor.VFX.UI.VFXViewWindow.Update () (at ./Library/PackageCache/com.unity.visualeffectgraph/Editor/GraphView/VFXViewWindow.cs:384)
UnityEditor.HostView.SendUpdate () (at /Users/bokken/build/output/unity/unity/Editor/Mono/HostView.cs:705)
_UnityEditor.EditorApplication.Internal_CallUpdateFunctions () (at /Users/bokken/build/output/unity/unity/Editor/Mono/EditorApplication.cs:384)_

If Visual Effects Graph window is closed when effect is in this state then it won't be possible to reopen it again until editor is restarted

Expected results: No exceptions or graph corruption

Reproducible with versions: 2022.3.5f1, 2022.3.54f1, 6000.0.33f1, 6000.1.0b1

Not reproducible with versions: 2022.3.4f1

Can’t test with versions: 

Tested on (OS): MacOS 15.1.1

Notes:

• It's important that visual effects graph window is visible at all times, otherwise issue does not reproduce
• Closing Visual Effects Graph window while it's throwing NullReferenceException error will get vfx asset into a corrupt state, making it impossible to open it again until editor is restarted
• See attached vfx-exception-repro-from-scratch.mov video for a demonstration on how to recreate the issue from scratch