Author/Authors :
MacDermott، نويسنده , , A.J. and Barron، نويسنده , , L.D. and Brack، نويسنده , , A. and Buhse، نويسنده , , T. and Drake، نويسنده , , A.F. and Emery، نويسنده , , R. and Gottarelli، نويسنده , , G. and Greenberg، نويسنده , , J.M. and Haberle، نويسنده , , R. and Hegstrom، نويسنده , , R.A. and Hobbs، نويسنده , , K. and Kondepudi، نويسنده , , D.K. and McKay، نويسنده , , C. and Moorbath، نويسنده , , S. and Raulin، نويسنده , , F. and Sandf، نويسنده ,
Abstract :
A characteristic hallmark of life is its homochirality; all biomolecules are usually of one hand, e.g. on Earth life uses only l-amino acids for protein synthesis and not their d mirror images. It is therefore suggested that a search for extra-terrestrial life can be approached as a Search for Extra-Terrestrial Homochirality (SETH). A novel miniaturized space polarimeter, called the SETH Cigar, is described which could be used to detect optical rotation as the homochiral signature of life on other planets. Moving parts are avoided by replacing the normal rotating polarizer by multiple fixed polarizers at different angles as in the eye of the bee. It is believed that homochirality will be found in the subsurface layers on Mars as a relic of extinct life.
