Abstract: A microwave plasma impedance transformers comprising a thermal break and methods of use are described. The impedance transformer comprises a housing having a first end and a second end defining a length of the housing. The housing has a channel with channel walls extending through the length from the first end to the second end, and the channel has an opening in the first end of the housing with a first end diameter and an opening in the second end of the housing with a second end diameter. The first end diameter being greater than the second end diameter. The channel acts as a conical impedance transformer.

Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with superior stability as well as particle, energy and flux confinement and, more particularly, systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with elevated system energies and improved sustainment utilizing neutral beam injection and high harmonic fast wave electron heating.

Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with superior stability as well as particle, energy and flux confinement and, more particularly, systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with elevated system energies and improved sustainment utilizing neutral beam injection and high harmonic fast wave electron heating.

Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with superior stability as well as particle, energy and flux confinement and, more particularly, systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with elevated system energies and improved sustainment utilizing neutral beam injection and high harmonic fast wave electron heating.

Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with superior stability as well as particle, energy and flux confinement and, more particularly, systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with elevated system energies and improved sustainment utilizing neutral beam injection and high harmonic fast wave electron heating.

Abstract: A scalable coder having a grid motion estimation and compensation module (110), a motion compensation temporal filtering module (105), a scalable coding module (115), a discrete transformation module (120), and a packetization module (135). The grid-motion estimation and compensation module (110) outputs a scalable motion vector from the source video data, supplied resolution and bit rate parameters. The motion compensation temporal filtering module (105) generates, from the source video data and the scalable motion vector, a residual image corresponding to the difference between the present and previous image frames. The scalable coding module (115) is coupled to receive and encode the scalable motion vector. The discrete transformation module (120) is configured to receive and domain transform the supplied video to a sequence of coefficients.

Abstract: A method of measuring a quality of a test video stream, the method comprising measuring a content richness fidelity feature of the test video stream based on occurrences of color values in image frames of the test video stream; measuring a block-fidelity feature of the test video stream based on distortion at block-boundaries in the image frames of the test video stream; measuring a distortion-invisibility feature of the test video stream based on distortion at pixels of the image frames of the test video stream; and determining a quality rating for the test video stream based on the content richness fidelity feature, the block-fidelity feature and the distortion-invisibility feature measured.

Abstract: A scalable coder having a grid motion estimation and compensation module (110), a motion compensation temporal filtering module (105), a scalable coding module (115), a discrete transformation module (120), and a packetization module (135). The grid-motion estimation and compensation module (110) outputs a scalable motion vector from the source video data, supplied resolution and bit rate parameters. The motion compensation temporal filtering module (105) generates, from the source video data and the scalable motion vector, a residual image corresponding to the difference between the present and previous image frames. The scalable coding module (115) is coupled to receive and encode the scalable motion vector. The discrete transformation module (120) is configured to receive and domain transform the supplied video to a sequence of coefficients.

Abstract: A method of measuring a quality of a test video stream, the method comprising measuring a content richness fidelity feature of the test video stream based on occurrences of color values in image frames of the test video stream; measuring a block-fidelity feature of the test video stream based on distortion at block-boundaries in the image frames of the test video stream; measuring a distortion-invisibility feature of the test video stream based on distortion at pixels of the image frames of the test video stream; and determining a quality rating for the test video stream based on the content richness fidelity feature, the block-fidelity feature and the distortion-invisibility feature measured.