Symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation
We propose a model for chiral polymerisation and investigate its symmetric and asymmetric solutions. The model has a source species which decays into left- and right-handed types of monomer, each of which can polymerise to form homochiral chains; these chains are susceptible to `poisoning'...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Springer-Verlag
2005
|
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/927/ |
| _version_ | 1848790504338096128 |
|---|---|
| author | Wattis, Jonathan A.D. Coveney, Peter V. |
| author_facet | Wattis, Jonathan A.D. Coveney, Peter V. |
| author_sort | Wattis, Jonathan A.D. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | We propose a model for chiral polymerisation and investigate
its symmetric and asymmetric solutions. The model has a source
species which decays into left- and right-handed types of monomer,
each of which can polymerise to form homochiral chains;
these chains are susceptible to `poisoning' by the opposite handed
monomer. Homochiral polymers are assumed to influence the
proportion of each type of monomer formed from the precursor.
We show that for certain parameter values a positive feedback
mechanism makes the symmetric steady-state solution unstable.
The kinetics of polymer formation are then analysed in the case
where the system starts from zero concentrations of monomers
and chains. We show that following a long induction time, extremely
large concentrations of polymers are
formed for a short time, during this time an asymmetry
introduced into the system by a random external perturbation
may be massively amplified. The system then approaches one
of the steady-state solutions described above. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:13:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-927 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:13:40Z |
| publishDate | 2005 |
| publisher | Springer-Verlag |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-9272020-05-04T20:31:05Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/927/ Symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation Wattis, Jonathan A.D. Coveney, Peter V. We propose a model for chiral polymerisation and investigate its symmetric and asymmetric solutions. The model has a source species which decays into left- and right-handed types of monomer, each of which can polymerise to form homochiral chains; these chains are susceptible to `poisoning' by the opposite handed monomer. Homochiral polymers are assumed to influence the proportion of each type of monomer formed from the precursor. We show that for certain parameter values a positive feedback mechanism makes the symmetric steady-state solution unstable. The kinetics of polymer formation are then analysed in the case where the system starts from zero concentrations of monomers and chains. We show that following a long induction time, extremely large concentrations of polymers are formed for a short time, during this time an asymmetry introduced into the system by a random external perturbation may be massively amplified. The system then approaches one of the steady-state solutions described above. Springer-Verlag 2005 Article PeerReviewed Wattis, Jonathan A.D. and Coveney, Peter V. (2005) Symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation. Origins of Life and the Evolution of the Biosphere, 35 (3). pp. 243-273. ISSN 0169-6149 |
| spellingShingle | Wattis, Jonathan A.D. Coveney, Peter V. Symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation |
| title | Symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation |
| title_full | Symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation |
| title_fullStr | Symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation |
| title_short | Symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation |
| title_sort | symmetry-breaking in chiral polymerisation |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/927/ |