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Using fully kinetic 2.5 dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of anti-parallel symmetric magnetic reconnection, we investigate how initially cold ions are captured by the reconnection process, and how they evolve and behave in the exhaust. We find that initially cold ions can remain cold deep inside the exhaust. Cold ions that enter the exhaust downstream of active separatrices, closer to the dipolarization front, appear as cold counter-streaming beams behind the front. In the off-equatorial region, these cold ions generate ion-acoustic waves that aid in the thermalization both of the incoming and outgoing populations. Closest to the front, due to the stronger magnetization, the ions can remain relatively cold during the neutral plane crossing. In the intermediate exhaust, the weaker magnetization leads to enhanced pitch angle scattering and reflection. Cold ions that enter the exhaust closer to the X line, at active separatrices, evolve into a thermalized exhaust. Here, the cold populations are heated through a combination of thermalization at the separatrices and pitch angle scattering in the curved magnetic field around the neutral plane. Depending on where the ions enter the exhaust, and how long time they have spent there, they are accelerated to different energies. The superposition of separately thermalized ion populations that have been accelerated to different energies form the hot exhaust population.

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process whereby microscopic plasma processes cause macroscopic changes in magnetic field topology, leading to explosive energy release. Waves and turbulence generated during the reconnection process can produce particle diffusion and anomalous resistivity, as well as heat the plasma and accelerate plasma particles, all of which can impact the reconnection process. We review progress on waves related to reconnection achieved using high resolution multi-point in situ observations over the last decade, since early Cluster and THEMIS observations and ending with recent Magnetospheric Multiscale results. In particular, we focus on the waves most frequently observed in relation to reconnection, ranging from low-frequency kinetic Alfvén waves (KAW), to intermediate frequency lower hybrid and whistler-mode waves, electrostatic broadband and solitary waves, as well as the high-frequency upper hybrid, Langmuir, and electron Bernstein waves. Significant progress has been made in understanding localization of the different wave modes in the context of the reconnection picture, better quantification of generation mechanisms and wave-particle interactions, including anomalous resistivity. Examples include: temperature anisotropy driven whistlers in the flux pileup region, anomalous effects due to lower-hybrid waves, upper hybrid wave generation within the electron diffusion region, wave-particle interaction of electrostatic solitary waves. While being clearly identified in observations, some of the wave processes remain challenging for reconnection simulations (electron Bernstein, upper hybrid, Langmuir, whistler), as the instabilities (streaming, loss-cone, shell) which drive these waves require high resolution of distribution functions in phase space, and realistic ratio of Debye to electron inertia scales. We discuss how reconnection configuration, i.e., symmetric vs. asymmetric, guide-field vs. antiparallel, affect wave occurrence, generation, effect on particles, and feedback on the overall reconnection process. Finally, we outline some of the major open questions, such as generation of electromagnetic radiation by reconnection sites and role of waves in triggering/onset of reconnection.