Cline DB. Supernova antineutrino interactions cause chiral symmetry breaking and possibly homochiral biomaterials for life.
Chirality 2005;
17 Suppl:S234-9. [PMID:
15962283 DOI:
10.1002/chir.20142]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
There is some evidence that nonracemic hydrocarbons occur in meteorites. This would indicate an extraterrestrial origin of the homochirality in living systems (proteins, DNA, RNA). The weak interaction breaks chiral symmetry, but a robust process is needed. We propose that, in an SNII explosion, antineutrinos could provide this mechanism in the solar cloud. Pre-simple estimates of this possibility are given here.
Collapse