IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v10y2019i1d10.1038_s41467-019-11655-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Chemical compass behaviour at microtesla magnetic fields strengthens the radical pair hypothesis of avian magnetoreception

Author

Listed:
  • Christian Kerpal

    (University of Oxford)

  • Sabine Richert

    (University of Oxford)

  • Jonathan G. Storey

    (University of Oxford)

  • Smitha Pillai

    (Arizona State University)

  • Paul A. Liddell

    (Arizona State University)

  • Devens Gust

    (Arizona State University)

  • Stuart R. Mackenzie

    (University of Oxford)

  • P. J. Hore

    (University of Oxford)

  • Christiane R. Timmel

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

The fact that many animals, including migratory birds, use the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation and compass-navigation is fascinating and puzzling in equal measure. The physical origin of these phenomena has not yet been fully understood, but arguably the most likely hypothesis is based on the radical pair mechanism (RPM). Whilst the theoretical framework of the RPM is well-established, most experimental investigations have been conducted at fields several orders of magnitude stronger than the Earth’s. Here we use transient absorption spectroscopy to demonstrate a pronounced orientation-dependence of the magnetic field response of a molecular triad system in the field region relevant to avian magnetoreception. The chemical compass response exhibits the properties of an inclination compass as found in migratory birds. The results underline the feasibility of a radical pair based avian compass and also provide further guidelines for the design and operation of exploitable chemical compass systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Kerpal & Sabine Richert & Jonathan G. Storey & Smitha Pillai & Paul A. Liddell & Devens Gust & Stuart R. Mackenzie & P. J. Hore & Christiane R. Timmel, 2019. "Chemical compass behaviour at microtesla magnetic fields strengthens the radical pair hypothesis of avian magnetoreception," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-11655-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11655-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-11655-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-019-11655-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-11655-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.