Recent Progress in Chirality Research Using Circularly Polarized Light

TL;DR

This review discusses how circularly polarized light influences molecular chirality, its role in the origin of life, recent experimental and astronomical findings, and implications for understanding life's emergence in the universe.

Contribution

It synthesizes recent advances in understanding the role of circularly polarized light in chirality and life's origins, integrating experimental, astronomical, and astrobiological perspectives.

Findings

Detection of enantiomeric excess in meteorites supports extraterrestrial origin of life's building blocks.

Recent experiments show circularly polarized light can induce molecular enantiomeric excess.

Astronomical observations reveal the distribution of circularly polarized light in star-forming regions.

Abstract

(abridged) We review recent studies of chirality using circularly polarized light, along with the birth and evolution of life and planetary systems. Terrestrial life consists almost exclusively of one enantiomer, left-handed amino acids. This characteristic feature is called homochirality, whose origin is still unknown. The route to homogeneity of chirality would be connected with the origin and development of life on early Earth along with evolution of the solar system. Detections of enantiomeric excess in several meteorites support the possibility that the seed of life was injected from space, considering the possible destruction and racemization in the perilous environment on early Earth. Circularly polarized light could bring the enantiomeric excess of prebiotic molecules in space. Recent experimental works on photochemistry under ultraviolet circularly polarized light are remarkable. Recent astronomical observations by imaging polarimetry of star-forming regions are now revealing the distribution of circularly polarized light in space. Astrobiological view on chirality of life would contribute to understanding of the origin and development of life, from the birth and the end of stars and planetary systems in space. Deep insights on terrestrial life, extrasolar life, and the origin of life in the universe, would be brought by consideration of both of the place where life is able to live, the "habitable" zone, and the place where life is able to originate, what we shall call the "originable" zone.