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Predominantly left-handed circular polarization in comets: Does it indicate L-enantiomeric excess in cometary organics?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2008

V. Rosenbush ,
N. Kiselev  and
L. Kolokolova
V. Rosenbush
Affiliation:
Main Astronomical Observatory, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 27 Zabolotnoho Str., 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine email: rosevera@mao.kiev.ua
N. Kiselev
Affiliation:
Main Astronomical Observatory, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 27 Zabolotnoho Str., 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine email: rosevera@mao.kiev.ua
L. Kolokolova
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA email: ludmilla@astro.umd.edu
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Abstract

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Polarimetric observations demonstrated that all comets with significant values of circular polarization show predominantly left–handed circularly polarized light. We discuss the presence of homochiral organics in cometary materials as a source of the observed circular polarization. We have studied the effect of chirality on light–scattering properties of cometary dust considering particles that possess optical activity. Our investigations show that the cometary dust may include optically active materials which can be prebiological homochiral organics.

Keywords

Cometsobservationspolarizationlight scattering
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 4 , Symposium S251: Organic Matter in Space , February 2008 , pp. 311 - 312
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2008

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