Reply to ``Comment on `Chemically frozen phase separation in an adsorbed layer't''

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Abstract
In a previous paper [Phys. Rev. E 52, R4616 (1995)] we proposed a simple model to illustrate a basic mechanism for the formation of adsorbate islands on a surface. In the preceding paper [Phys. Rev. E 55, 4826 (1997)] it was claimed that this model was not realistic because it assumed a desorption rate constant independent of coverage, therefore neglecting the effect of interadsorbate interactions on the desorption rate. In view of numerous experimental results and microscopic simulations, we argue that, at least in some temperature ranges, this assumption is fully justified. Moreover, it does not compromise the model's ability to capture the crucial features of the system under consideration.