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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
Elemental abundances from recent spectrum-synthesis analyses of the ultraviolet spectra of normal and HgMn-type late-B stars are examined for inter-correlations and for correlations with stellar parameters by use of standard statistical techniques. A few marginally significant correlations are apparent in the normal-star sample. In the HgMn sample, significant correlations with Teff are identified for Mn, Cu, and Ga. Strong inter-correlations are also identified in this sample for the abundances of two triads of elements (Mg-Al-Cr and Mn-Cu-Ga). Trivariate correlation analysis is used to demonstrate that these element-element inter-correlations are statistically independent of both Teff and log g. The correlated behaviour of these characteristically anomalous elements casts new light on the apparent heterogeneity of the HgMn class of peculiar stars, and may have important implications for the diffusion model which has been advocated as an explanation of the HgMn phenomenon.