A high-current two-stage DC Hall accelerator is investigated to determine its possible application in controlled, thermonuclear fusion work. Detailed measurements are made on the electrical characteristics of the device for currents of up to ∼ 3 kA and potential differences of up to ∼ 1 kV. It is shown that the impedance of the device, and consequently the energy of the accelerated plasma, increases directly with Br over the range investigated. The output of accelerated plasma also increases with Br and maximum values of ∼ 500 A equivalent are obtained.The presence of a rotating cathode spot is shown by means of high-speed framing photographs. An important characteristic of the device is its flexibility, the total number of particles produced depending on the duration and magnitude of the gas feed and current pulse. The output of the device is compared with fusion reactor requirements and the way in which it could be scaled up to meet these requirements is considered.