Am stars in binary systems

Abstract

It is argued that apart from the well known dependence of the Am phenomenon on mass, age (effective temperature, gravity) and rotation there is also a complex dependence on the orbital parameters in binary systems. This is why the generally accepted scenario in which the Am star's rotation plays a unique role needs to be revisited, the strong correlations between the rotation, orbital period and eccentricity need to be properly addressed, and tidal effects should be taken into account. Recent observations of Am stars in binary systems are reviewed. Show more