Investigations of electron helicity in optically active molecules using polarized beams of electrons and positrons.
We will discuss one possible correlation between the origin of optical activity in biological molecules and the helicity of beta particles emitted in nuclear beta decay. This correlation is based on the supposition of Hrasko and Garay that electrons in optically active molecules possess helicity. Positronium formation experiments are significantly more sensitive to this particular effect than radiolysis experiments although no experiments of any type to date have obtained the sensitivity that our preliminary calculations indicate is necessary. We discuss a new experiment in which positronium is formed in vacuum with a low energy polarized positron beam. An improvement of up to 10(4) in sensitivity to the effect is possible.
D004583:Electrons; D009686:Nuclear Physics / Q000295:instrumentation; D009904:Optical Rotation; D013237:Stereoisomerism