Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
This paper presents a new statistical investigation of peculiar A-type stars (Am, Ap, Hg-Mn) among spectroscopic binary (SB) stars. The relative frequency of Am (CP 1) stars is 55% in the spectral range A1 to A6 of main-sequence stars. The Ap (CP 2) stars amount to 15% in the range B9 to A2. The Hg-Mn stars are concentrated to the spectral types B8 to AO and reach a relative frequency of 23%. The Am SB stars have the shortest orbital periods and the smallest eccentricities (30% circular) whereas the Ap SB stars show a strong tendency to long periods and highly eccentric orbits (only 10% circular). The masses of the Am stars agree with the masses of non-peculiar SB stars of corresponding spectral type.