We present an analysis of flare activity in wide binary stars using a combination of value-added data sets from the NASA Kepler mission .
The target list contains a set of previously discovered wide binary star systems identified by proper motions in the Kepler field .
We cross-matched these systems with estimates of flare activity for \sim 200,000 stars in the Kepler field , allowing us to compare relative flare luminosity between stars in coeval binaries .
From a sample of 184 previously known wide binaries in the Kepler field , we find 58 with detectable flare activity in at least 1 component , 33 of which are similar in mass ( q > 0.8 ) .
Of these 33 equal-mass binaries , the majority display similar ( \pm 1 dex ) flare luminosity between both stars , as expected for stars of equal mass and age .
However , we find two equal-mass pairs where the secondary ( lower mass ) star is more active than its counterpart , and two equal-mass pairs where the primary star is more active .
The stellar rotation periods are also anomalously fast for stars with elevated flare activity .
Pairs with discrepant rotation and activity qualitatively seem to have lower mass ratios .
These outliers may be due to tidal spin-up , indicating these wide binaries could be hierarchical triple systems .
We additionally present high resolution adaptive optics images for two wide binary systems to test this hypothesis .
The demographics of stellar rotation and magnetic activity between stars in wide binaries may be useful indicators for discerning formation scenarios of these systems .