Close visual binaries. I - MK classifications Each component of 170 close visual binaries has been classified with newprocedures for controlling contamination problems. These classificationsare presented and are shown to be on the MK system. Two sources of areascanner UBV photometry were compared in order to establish homogeneousphotometric as well as spectroscopic data. From a consideration ofsystematic errors in the V magnitude difference (Delta V) betweencomponents the photometry of Hurly and Warner (1983) is to be preferred.Absolute magnitudes for each binary are derived from Delta V via atested MK - M(v) map.
Close visual binaries. II - Quantitative test of isochrones Homogeneous and accurate color-magnitude data are available from Paper Ifor each component of 56 close visual binaries, 30 with evolvedcomponents. The 21 binaries with main-sequence primaries are comparedwith new Yale isochrones to determine the appropriate isochronecomposition: Y = 0.25, Z = 0.04. Explanations are given for eightbinaries found to be inconsistent with this isochrone. Some of theremaining binaries suggest a decrease by 0.5 in the mixing lengthparameter for the reddest main-sequence stars, and either a smallerdecrease or mass loss in the subgiant and giant phase of evolution. Ingeneral, the mean apparent age difference between binary components (0.0+ or - 0.1 Gyr) shows stellar evolution to be well modeled by the newYale isochrones.
