Stability of racemic and chiral steady states in open and closed chemical systems

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the stability of chiral and racemic states in chemical systems, identifying key parameters that control symmetry breaking and deriving constraints on reaction rates for stability.

Contribution

It provides an algebraic characterization of stability in models of mirror symmetry breaking, focusing on critical parameters and rate constraints.

Findings

Identification of critical parameters for chiral symmetry breaking

Derivation of rate constant constraints from stability analysis

Comparison of stability in open and closed systems

Abstract

The stability properties of models of spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking in chemistry are characterized algebraically. The models considered here all derive either from the Frank model or from autocatalysis with limited enantioselectivity. Emphasis is given to identifying the critical parameter controlling the chiral symmetry breaking transition from racemic to chiral steady-state solutions. This parameter is identified in each case, and the constraints on the chemical rate constants determined from dynamic stability are derived.