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Beta-decay, Bremsstrahlen, and the origin of molecular chiralityA brief review is presented of the Vester-Ulbricht beta-decay Bremsstrahlen hypothesis for the origin of optical activity, and of subsequent experiments designed to test it. Certain experiments along these lines, begun in 1974 and involving the irradiation of racemic and optically active amino acids in a 61.7 KCi Sr-90-Y-90 Bremsstrahlen source, have now been completed and are described. After 10.89 years of irradiation with a total Bremsstrahlen dose of 2.5 x 10 to the 9th rads, crystalline DL-leucine, norleucine, and norvaline suffered 47.2, 33.6, and 27.4 percent radiolysis, respectively, but showed no evidence whatsoever of asymmetric degradation. Dand L-Leucine underwent about 48 percent radiolysis and showed 2.4-2.9 percent radioracemization. Other samples in solution were too severely degraded to analyze. Probable intrinsic reasons for the failure of the Vester-Ulbricht mechanism to afford asymmetric radiolysis in the present and related experiments involving beta-decay Bremsstrahlen are enumerated.
Document ID
19850041718
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Bonner, W. A.
(Stanford Univ. CA, United States)
Yi, L.
(Stanford University Stanford, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1984
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Molecular Evolution
Volume: 21
Issue: 1 19
ISSN: 0022-2844
Subject Category
Space Biology
Accession Number
85A23869
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGL-05-020-582
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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