System and method for alfvenic reconnecting plasmoid plasma acceleration

A system for using magnetic reconnection to accelerate plasma, the system comprising:

• a pair of electrodes comprising two concentric rings separated by an electrode gap and held at different electrostatic potential by applying a voltage to generate an inter-electrode electric field;
• a plurality of magnetic coils configured to produce magnetic field lines that connect the pair of electrodes;
• a gas injector configured to inject gas into the electrode gap, the injected gas being partially ionized by the inter-electrode electric field to generate a poloidal current that flows along open magnetic field lines across the electrode gap;
• and
• a reaction chamber in a form of an external toroidal magnetic field;
• wherein a total Lorentz force causes oppositely directed magnetic field lines to be expanded around a region of the gas injector to further create an azimuthal current in the form of an axially elongated current sheet that is unstable such that the axially elongated current sheet reconnects and breaks into plasmoids;
• and
• the gas injected comprises isotopes capable of producing thermonuclear fusion reactions.

A method for using magnetic reconnection to accelerate plasma, the method comprising:

• applying a voltage to a pair of electrodes to generate an inter-electrode electric field, the pair of electrodes comprising two concentric rings separated by an electrode gap and held at different electrostatic potential;
• producing magnetic field lines that connect the pair of electrodes via a plurality of magnetic coils;
• injecting gas into the electrode gap via a gas injector, the injected gas being partially ionized by the inter-electrode electric field to generate a poloidal current that flows along open magnetic field lines across the electrode gap;
• wherein a total Lorentz force causes oppositely directed magnetic field lines to be expanded around a region of the gas injector to further create an azimuthal current in the form of an axially elongated current sheet that is unstable such that the axially elongated current sheet reconnects and breaks into plasmoids.