Possible Scenarios for Homochirality on Earth

• Main Author: Fujiki, Michiya (auth)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2019
• Subjects: supramolecular assembly; weak neutral current; homochiral and heterochiral aggregates; vortex; neutrinos; Soai reaction; Viedma ripening effect; nucleus-molecular coupling; absolute asymmetric synthesis; circular dichroism; enantiomer self-disproportionation; magmatic flow; metal-organic framework; Z0 boson; hidden chirality; gravitation; SDE; etch figures; replicators; supramolecular chirality; deracemization; assemblies; spin polarized electrons; super-high-velocity impact; homochirality; chirogenesis; heat capacity; tunneling; prebiotic; Salam hypothesis; tilt-chirality; self-assembly; racemic field; triethylenediamine (DABCO) molecules; environmental chirality; bioorganic homochirality; polymer; enantioselective reaction; two-fold helix; origin of life; biological homochirality; parity violation in the weak interaction; amino acids; multi-point approximation; magnetism; C1- and C2-symmetric catalysts; spin-polarized lepton; lipid; chiral field (memory); Wallach's rule; asymmetric autocatalysis; plasma reactor; circularly polarized photon; asymmetric reaction; racemate; enantiomorphism; symmetry breaking; ?-strand; chirality; circularly polarized light; circularly polarized luminescence; autocatalysis; amino acid handedness; asymmetric synthesis; precision measurement; nepheline; chiral separation; parity violation; achiral stationary phase; genesis of life chirality; high dimensional chirality
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

In 1978, Fred Hoyle proposed that interstellar comets carrying several viruses landed on Earth as part of the panspermia hypotheses. With respect to life, the origin of homochirality on Earth has been the greatest mystery because life cannot exist without molecular asymmetry. Many scientists have proposed several possible hypotheses to answer this long-standing L-D question. Previously, Martin Gardner raised the question about mirror symmetry and broken mirror symmetry in terms of the homochirality question in his monographs (1964 and 1990). Possible scenarios for the L-D issue can be categorized into (i) Earth and exoterrestrial origins, (ii) by-chance and necessity mechanisms, and (iii) mirror-symmetrical and non-mirror-symmetrical forces as physical and chemical origins. These scenarios should involve further great amplification mechanisms, enabling a pure L- or D-world.