title: Stochastic analysis of the parity-violating energy differences between enantiomers and its implications for the origin of biological chirality.
abstract: A stochastic description of a racemic mixture is developed taking into account the slight energy difference between enantiomers originating from parity violation (DeltaE(PV) approximately equal to 10(-13) Jmol(-1)). The system can be described by an asymmetric binomial distribution. A method is developed to calculate the probability of forming the more-stable isomer in excess, which is not significantly larger than 50% under normal conditions. It is concluded that the parity-violating energy difference between enantiomers is very unlikely to be relevant in considerations about the origin of biological chirality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, P.O.B. 21, Debrecen, H-4010 Hungary. lenteg@delfin.unideb.hu
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lente
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D004735:Energy Transfer; D019418:Evolution, Chemical; D000069497:Origin of Life; D011789:Quantum Theory; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013269:Stochastic Processes