Symmetry breaking and pattern selection in far-from-equilibrium systems.

A mechanism enabling nonequilibrium systems to select spatially asymmetric solutions is outlined. It operates when a macroscopic mode undergoing a symmetry-breaking bifurcation can interact with a polar or a chiral field not explicitly involved in the bifurcation. The perturbation of the bifurcation induced by the field allows the system to capture the external asymmetry and build patterns of preferred polarity or preferred chirality. The chemical and biological implications of forming such an asymmetric medium are discussed.