A Differential Spectroscopic Analysis of 16 Cygni A and B

Abstract

We utilize high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra to perform a differential analysis of Fe abundances in the common proper-motion pair 16 Cyg A and B. We confirm that both stars are slightly metal-rich compared to the Sun, and we show for the first time that the primary is enhanced in Fe relative to the secondary by a significant amount. We find Delta[Fe/H]=+0.025\pm0.009. This tends to support the ``self-pollution'' scenario proposed by Gonzalez (1998), though lack of a complete understanding of small primordial metallicity variations among binaries and open cluster members prevents a definitive conclusion.