RT Journal Article T1 General properties of RS CVn systems A1 Montesinos, B. A1 Giménez, A. A1 Fernández Figueroa, María José AB In this work we analyse the behaviour of 22 members of the RS CVn family whose absolute parameters are known by observation. We have carried out a study in comparison with detached and normal-evolution systems in order to obtain some general properties of this group of active binaries and test the evolutionary status. A comparison with evolutionary tracks of several metallicities and helium contents shows that there is a trend in these stars to have metal abundances equal to or larger than the solar one. The results are discussed in the light of the peculiar characteristics of this kind of binaries . PB Wiley SN 0035-8711 YR 1988 FD 1988-05-15 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/59717 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/59717 LA eng NO © Royal Astronomical Society.The authors are indebted to Dr Carole Jordan for her valuable comments to clarify the content of this paper. We are also grateful to the referee , Professor J. L. Linsky, for his suggestions to improve some points of the original version. This work was carried out at the Departamento de Astrofísica of the Universidad Complutense (Madrid) and it is a part of the project 'Actividad estelar en estrellas de los últimos tipos espectrales' supported by the Spanish Comisión Asesora de Investigación Científica y Técnica (CAICYT No. 2254/83). The financial support to one of the authors (BM) with a grant of the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia is also gratefully acknowledged. NO Comisión Asesora de Investigación Científica y Técnica (CAICYT), España NO Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (MEC), España DS Docta Complutense RD 11 abr 2025