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Investigations of electron helicity in optically active molecules using polarized beams of electrons and positronsA positronium-formation experiment with a high sensitivity to a possible relation between the helicity of beta particles emitted in nuclear beta decay and the optical asymmetry of biological molecules is presented. The experiment is based on a mechanism in which the electrons in optically active molecules possess a helicity of less than 0.001, too weak to detect in radiolysis experiments, the sign of which depends on the chirality of the isomer. A helicity-dependent asymmetry is sought in the formation of the triplet ground state of positronium when a low-energy beam of polarized positrons of reversible helicity interacts with an optically active substance coating a channel electron multiplier. Asymmetries between positronium decays observed at positive and negative helicities for the same substance can thus be determined with a sensitivity of 0.0001, which represents a factor of 100 improvement over previous positronium experiments.
Document ID
19810047651
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Gidley, D. W.
(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Rich, A.
(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Van House, J. C.
(Michigan, University Ann Arbor, Mich., United States)
Zitzewitz, P. W.
(Michigan, University Dearborn, Mich., United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1981
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Accession Number
81A32055
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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