Astrophysical Parameters of Binary Stars via Spectral Fitting

We present a new method for determining the effective temperatures and luminosities of the individual components of visual binary stars. The method fits stellar spectra from an empirical spectral library to observed differential and total binary star magnitudes, including measures made by the Yale--RIT binary star group as well as photometry from the literature. The method requires a minimum of assumptions, is statistically rigorous, and allows all available photometric data to be combined to yield precise parameter estimates. We have applied this method to several of the more well-studied and astrophysically interesting visual binaries. We show the resultant locations of these stars on the H-R diagram and on the Mass--Luminosity Relationship, and discuss theoretical implications through comparisons with stellar isochrones. NSF grants AST-9312148 and AST-9731165 supported this research.