Abstract
A dynamical mechanism is found whereby a dissymmetric molecule and its mirror image are ionized at different rates by longitudinally polarized electrons such as produced by nuclear β decay. An enhancement is predicted for molecules containing heavy atoms. Order-of-magnitude estimates indicate that the asymmetric effect of this mechanism may be detectable by current experiments on positronium formation.
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Hegstrom, R. β Decay and the origins of biological chirality: theoretical results. Nature 297, 643–647 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/297643a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/297643a0
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