title: beta-decay and the origin of optical purity.
abstract: Improving Keszthelyi's simple model the evolutionary appearance of concentration difference of enanthiomeric compounds due to their differential decomposition by beta-rays is investigated taking into account the racemization as well. It is shown that if the difference in the cross sections is very small then the resulting concentration difference will never exceed the statistical fluctuations, while in the case of a sufficiently large difference in the cross sections the concentration difference can overgrow the statistical fluctuations in an evolutionary reasonable period of time. The relative difference of the concentrations, however, will be generally much smaller than that of the cross sections. Therefore some other, amplifying mechanism must be postulated in order to explain the optical purity of living beings.
mesh_terms: D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D013237:Stereoisomerism