The Boron Abundance of Procyon

Abstract

The B I 2496.8 A resonance line and HST/GHRS echelle spectra are used with model atmospheres and synthetic spectra to derive the B abundance of the F dwarfs Procyon (alpha CMi), Theta UMa, and Iota Peg. The B abundance (log epsilon(B)~/=2.3) of Theta UMa and Iota Peg is similar to that derived by Boesgaard and Heacox from the B II resonance line in spectra of A and B-type stars. These two dwarfs show normal abundances of Li, Be, and B. Procyon, which is highly depleted in Li and Be, is depleted in B by a factor of at least 3. Comparison of the spectra of Procyon and the halo dwarf HD 140283 shows that the B abundance assigned by Duncan, Lambert, and Lemke (1992) to three halo dwarfs is not greatly overestimated as a result of contamination of the B I line by an unidentified line. (SECTION: Stars)