Ionization-recombination equilibrium in cold cluster plasma under conditions of retardation by high energy barrier

The kinetics of charge separation in a cold plasma was studied with the degradation reaction in molecular clusters HCl(H2O)n + m(H2O) ↔ H3O+(H2O)n + m −1Cl−, taken as an example, which precedes chlorine adsorption on the ice surface in the stratosphere. The formation of a vast population of H+, Cl− ion pairs stabilized in water clusters ensures the intense binding of chlorine in ice microcrystals that occur in stratospheric clouds. The accumulation of chlorine in the stratosphere is recognized as the main cause of the destruction of the protective ozone layer. The ion buildup effect is a result of the balance between opposite ionization and recombination processes in the presence of a high energy barrier that retards ion recombination in water clusters. A kinetic equation for the process was obtained and its solution was analyzed. The parameters of the barrier were calculated by computer simulation.