Beta-gamma decay and stereoselective molecular breaking

Summary Firm empirical evidence demonstrating that optical activity in biological molecules could result from the violation of parity in the weak interactions has yet to be produced. This effect, when mediated by beta particles or by their subsequent circularly polarized external bremsstrahlung, seems to exist, but it is too small for experimental verification. In this paper, I suggest another mechanism to transfer the dissymmetry from the nucleus to the molecule: a compound beta (or electron capture)-gamma disintegration process which, carrying also the information of parity violation, might be more efficient at the time of a selective breaking of one of the two enantiomers in a racemic mixture. A new type of experiment to test this idea is suggested.