  Let $B$ be a Borel subgroup of a semisimple algebraic group $G$, and let
$\mathfrak a$ be an abelian ideal of $\mathfrak b=Lie(B)$. The ideal $\mathfrak
a$ is determined by certain subset $\Delta_{\mathfrak a}$ of positive roots,
and using $\Delta_{\mathfrak a}$ we give an explicit classification of the
$B$-orbits in $\mathfrak a$ and $\mathfrak a^*$. Our description visibly
demonstrates that there are finitely many $B$-orbits in both cases. We also
describe the Pyasetskii correspondence between the $B$-orbits in $\mathfrak a$
and $\mathfrak a^*$ and the invariant algebras $\Bbbk[\mathfrak a]^U$ and
$\Bbbk[\mathfrak a^*]^U$, where $U=(B,B)$. As an application, the number of
$B$-orbits in the abelian nilradicals is computed. We also discuss related
results of A.Melnikov and others for classical groups and state a general
conjecture on the closure and dimension of the $B$-orbits in the abelian
nilradicals, which exploits a relationship between between $B$-orbits and
involutions in the Weyl group.
