Enhancement of heavy ozone in the Earth's atmosphere?

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Abstract
The possible enhancement of isotopically heavy ozone (50O3) in the earth's stratosphere and mesosphere produced by the preferential photodissociation of heavy oxygen (34O2) is considered. On the basis of a realistic oxygen‐only model, we show that the rapidity of the exchange reaction 18O + 32O2 ⇄ 16O + 34O2 prevents any enhancement at stratospheric temperatures. Since observations of Mauersberger (1981) suggest that such an enhancement exists, one is left with a paradox. Possible modifications to the chemical model, which include isotopically specific photochemistry of ozone, are shown to be non‐competitive with the exchange reaction.