Availability of highly reactive halogen ions at the surface of aerosols has
tremendous implications for the atmospheric chemistry. Yet neither simulations,
experiments, nor existing theories are able to provide a fully consistent
description of the electrolyte-air interface. In this paper a new theory is
proposed which allows us to explicitly calculate the ionic density profiles,
the surface tension, and the electrostatic potential difference across the
solution-air interface. Predictions of the theory are compared to experiments
and are found to be in excellent agreement. The theory also sheds new light on
one of the oldest puzzles of physical chemistry -- the Hofmeister effect
