Chiral Interactions in Dissociative Electron Attachment to the Amino Acids
Comprehensive Exam
2:00 pm –
3:00 pm
Jorgensen Hall
Contact:
Physics Department, (402) 472-2770, paoffice@unl.edu
Karl Ahrendsen will present his comprehensive exam topic, “Chiral Interactions in Dissociative Electron Attachment to the Amino Acids”
Join Zoom Mtg: https://unl.zoom.us/j/92662908140
ABSTRACT: Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) is the process by which an electron is resonantly captured by a molecule and subsequently causes the molecule to fragment, one of the final fragments being a negatively charged ion. DEA at low incident electron energies is known to cause fragmentation of biological molecules, leading to damaging effects on the organism in which these molecules reside. Since biological molecules are chiral, symmetry permits a dependency of the DEA interaction on the spin direction (chirality) of the incident electron. Experiments sometimes exhibit such a dependency with chiral molecules, but others have failed to produce the same effect.
This paper investigates the DEA process in the context of amino acids, one class of biologically relevant chiral molecules. First, a brief overview is provided of the mechanisms related to the DEA process. Then, an overview is provided of the current experimental and theoretical progress in DEA to amino acids. Finally, mechanisms that could produce a spin dependency of the DEA cross section in amino acids are considered.
Join Zoom Mtg: https://unl.zoom.us/j/92662908140
ABSTRACT: Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) is the process by which an electron is resonantly captured by a molecule and subsequently causes the molecule to fragment, one of the final fragments being a negatively charged ion. DEA at low incident electron energies is known to cause fragmentation of biological molecules, leading to damaging effects on the organism in which these molecules reside. Since biological molecules are chiral, symmetry permits a dependency of the DEA interaction on the spin direction (chirality) of the incident electron. Experiments sometimes exhibit such a dependency with chiral molecules, but others have failed to produce the same effect.
This paper investigates the DEA process in the context of amino acids, one class of biologically relevant chiral molecules. First, a brief overview is provided of the mechanisms related to the DEA process. Then, an overview is provided of the current experimental and theoretical progress in DEA to amino acids. Finally, mechanisms that could produce a spin dependency of the DEA cross section in amino acids are considered.