title: Polarized bremsstrahlung not the source of optical activity.
abstract: An evaluation is made of the previously proposed scheme (polarized beta-particles leads to circularly polarized bremsstrahlung leads to optically active molecules) by which dissymmetry at the elementary particle level may be transmitted to the molecular level. The calculations suggest that much too small a fraction of the total energy of the electron appears as light, capable of causing photochemical resolution, to explain results obtained in the laboratory on the preferential radiation-induced decomposition one enantiomer of chiral amino acids.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004583:Electrons; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids