NOVELTY - Producing hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas comprises contacting a carbon and hydrogen-containing solid fuel and a metal-based catalyst in the presence of oxygen gas to produce hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas, where the contacting occurs at a temperature sufficiently high to prevent char formation in an amount capable of stopping production of the hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas.    USE - The method is useful for producing hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas (synthesis gas) (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method provides shorter residence time (500, preferably 80 milliseconds) and high selectivity (99%) for hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The solid biomass directly contacting to a hot catalytic surface maintained by heat conduction from partial oxidation undergoes rapid decomposition to a clean synthesis gas at millisecond times with minimal or no char formation. The method does not require external heat source.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) a method for producing synthesis gas in a reactor comprising: inputting carbohydrate-based solid fuel particles into the reactor (contains a metal-lanthanide catalyst); inputting nitrogen and oxygen into the solid fuel source and the reactor at room temperature, where the carbon and oxygen are input in a ratio of 0.3-2.5; and allowing the particles to contact a front surface of the catalyst, where synthesis gas is produced at a total gas residence time of less than 500 milliseconds without an external heating system; and    (2) a system for producing synthesis gas comprising: a reactor containing a metal-based catalyst on a support; means for heating the metal-based catalyst; and means for inputting solid biomass, nitrogen and oxygen into the reactor, where the solid biomass contacts a surface of the metal-based catalyst to produce synthesis gas.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows the reactor system.    Reactor (102)    Solids (104)    Solids hopper (106)    Sony active subwoofer (108)    Speaker. (110)