  Our aim is to determine the dominant processes and timescales for the
ionisation equilibrium of calcium under solar chromospheric conditions. The
study is based on numerical simulations with the RADYN code, which includes
hydrodynamics, radiative transfer, and a detailed non-equilibrium treatment of
hydrogen, calcium, and helium. The simulations are characterised by upwards
propagating shock waves, which cause strong temperature fluctuations and
variations of the ionisation degree of calcium. The passage of a hot shock
front leads to a strong net ionisation of Ca II, rapidly followed by net
recombination. The relaxation timescale of the Ca ionisation state is found to
be of the order of a few seconds at the top of the photosphere and 10 to 30 s
in the upper chromosphere. Generally, the timescales are significantly reduced
in the wakes of hot shock fronts. The timescales can be reliably determined
from a simple analysis of the eigenvalues of the transition rate matrix. The
timescales are dominated by the radiative recombination from Ca III into the
metastable Ca II energy levels of the 4d 2D term. These transitions depend
strongly on the density of free electrons and therefore on the
(non-equilibrium) ionisation degree of hydrogen, which is the main electron
donor. The ionisation/recombination timescales derived here are too long for
the assumption of an instantaneous ionisation equilibrium to be valid and, on
the other hand, are not long enough to warrant an assumption of a constant
ionisation fraction. Fortunately, the ionisation degree of Ca II remains small
in the height range, where the cores of the H, K, and the infrared triplet
lines are formed. We conclude that the difference due to a detailed treatment
of Ca ionisation has only negligible impact on the modelling of spectral lines
of Ca II and the plasma properties under the conditions in the quiet solar
chromosphere.
