Polarized muons and the origin of biological homochirality

TL;DR

This paper explores how polarized muons generated by the weak force in cosmic radiation might have influenced the origin of biological homochirality, linking astrophysics, particle physics, and biology.

Contribution

It proposes a novel interdisciplinary hypothesis that cosmic muon polarization could have contributed to biological homochirality on Earth.

Findings

Polarized muons are produced by the weak force in cosmic ray interactions.

Muon polarization can be transmitted in cosmic showers across different environments.

This polarization may have induced a preference for molecular chirality in early life.

Abstract

While biologists have not yet reached a consensus on the definition of life, homochirality - the specific molecular handedness of biomolecules - is a phenomenon only produced by life. The unraveling of its origin requires interdisciplinary research, by exploring fundamental physics, chemistry, astrophysics and biology. Here, we consider the origin of biological homochirality in the context of astrophysics and particle physics. The weak force, one of the fundamental forces operating in nature, is parity-violating. On Earth, at ground level, most of our cosmic radiation dose comes from polarized muons formed in a decay involving the weak force. We discuss how the magnetic polarization is transmitted in cosmic showers within several different environments which are prime targets in the search for the origin of life. We consider how this polarization could have induced a biological preference for one type of chirality over the other, and discuss the implications for the search of life in other worlds.