Asymmetry in photoelectron emission from chiral molecules induced by circularly polarized light

In photoionization of free, unoriented chiral molecules with circularly pol arized radiation, a significant circular dichroism, i.e., an asymmetry in t he forward-backward electron emission, has been observed in the photoelectr on angular distribution. This leads also to an asymmetry in the momentum tr ansfer to the photoions. The spectra for the left- and right-handed enantio mers of bromocamphor exhibit asymmetries up to several percent which vary a s a function of orbital binding energy. This enantioselective: effect can s imilarly occur for biomolecules with handedness, like amino acids, and may thus be a contributing factor related to the origin of the terrestrial biom olecular homochirality.