  This work presents an analysis of the ion outflow from magnetic reconnection
throughout fully kinetic simulations with typical laboratory plasmas values. A
symmetric initial configuration for the density and magnetic field is
considered across the current sheet. After analyzing the behavior of a set of
nine simulations with a reduced mass ratio and with a permuted value of three
initial electron temperature and magnetic field intensity, the best ion
acceleration scenario is further studied with a realistic mass ratio in terms
of the ion dynamics and energy budget. Interestingly, a series of shock waves
structures are observed in the outflow, resembling the shock discontinuities
found in recent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. An analysis of the ion
outflow at several distances from the reconnection point is presented, in light
of possible laboratory applications. The analysis suggests that magnetic
reconnection could be used as a tool for plasma acceleration, with applications
ranging from electric propulsion to production of ion thermal beams.
