Quantum-Mechanical Resonance between Identical Molecules

Abstract

The process of synapsis of chromosomes in meiosis and the process of self-duplication of genes in mitosis reveal the existence of a highly specific attraction between pairs of large molecules provided they are identical and rigid. We shall investigate the quantum-mechanical behavior of a pair of molecules which interact with each other by means of vibrating electric dipole moments which are thermally excited. Because of resonance between equal frequency modes or commensurable modes of vibration, each one of the molecules shows a statistical preference for certain phase relations between these modes (using the language of the correspondence principle). A pair of molecules interacts strongly if it is an identical pair because of these phase preferences.