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On the physical origin of the homochirality of life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2005

DAVID B. CLINE
DAVID B. CLINE
Affiliation:
Astrophysics Division, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. E-mail: dcline@physics.ucla.edu
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Abstract

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It seems to be well known that life cannot arise in a racemic mixture of molecules (L=D). The various physical mechanisms that could influence the homochirality of the molecules responsible for life are reviewed together with a model where these molecules might be produced in the galaxy prior to the formation of the earth. The focus is on the influence of a powerful supernovae explosion to affect the homochirality of these molecules. Possible tests of this concept with meteorites and future space missions are described.

Type
Research Article
Information
European Review , Volume 13 , Issue S2 , October 2005 , pp. 49 - 59
Copyright
© Academia Europaea 2005