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Astronomical Sources of Circularly Polarized Light and Their Role in Determining Molecular Chirality on Earth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2017

Ramon D. Wolstencroft
Ramon D. Wolstencroft*
Affiliation:
Royal Observatory, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, Scotland

Abstract

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The major source of circularly polarized flux potentially capable of inducing asymmetric photolysis of a racemic mixture of chiral molecules on the primitive Earth is the daytime sky. The degree of circular polarization (q) depends on the slope and orientation of the local terrain which obscures part of the sky. After allowance for dilution by direct sunlight values of |q| range between about 10−4 and 10−5. The rates of (1) asymmetric photolysis, (2) chiral selection by the electro-weak process and (3) racemization are not yet well enough known for the relative importance of these processes to be definitely established.

Type
Section III. Planetary, Interplanetary and Interstellar Organic Matter
Information
Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 112: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: Recent Developments , 1985 , pp. 171 - 175
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1985 

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