RR Lyrae stars play an important role as distance indicators and stellar population tracers. In this context the construction of accurate pulsation models is crucial to understand the observed properties and to constrain the intrinsic stellar parameters of these pulsators. The physical mechanism driving pulsation in RR Lyrae stars has been known since the middle of the 20th century and many efforts have been performed during the last few decades in the construction of more and more refined pulsation models. In particular, nonlinear pulsation models including a nonlocal time-dependent treatment of convection, such as the ones originally developed in Los Alamos in the seventies, allow us to reproduce all the relevant observables of radial pulsation and to establish accurate relations and methods to constrain the intrinsic stellar properties and the distance of these variables. The most recent results on RR Lyrae pulsation obtained through these kinds of models will be presented and a few still debated problems will be discussed.
We report the discovery of a new case of an RR Lyrae star that experienced a switching of its pulsation mode. We detected USNO-B1.0 1171-0309158 as a double-mode RR Lyrae star from observations of the Catalina surveys (CSS) that showed additional scattering on the light curve. Our analysis of the time-series of CSS data showed gradual increase in scattering and in the amplitude of fundamental pulsation mode. Our CCD observations carried out in 2015 reveal that this object is now a fundamental-mode RRab star, with no sign of the first-overtone pulsation.
Preliminary polytropic models of a pulsating star have been constructed using the 3-D Hydrocode SPHC. An embedded Rayleigh-Taylor unstable layer is used to study the interaction of pulsation and turbulence. The possible importance of Richtmyer-Meshkov instability is noted for large amplitude pulsation. In addition, this model spontaneously generates a strong, hot, shock driven outflow at the upper boundary.
We present an analysis of the lightcurve extracted from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Full Frame Images of the double-mode RR Lyrae V338 Boo. We find that the fundamental mode pulsation is changing in amplitude across the 54 days of observations. The first overtone mode pulsation also changes, but on a much smaller scale. Harmonics and combinations of the primary pulsation modes also exhibit unusual behavior. Possible connections with other changes in RR Lyrae pulsations are discussed, but a full understanding of the cause of the changes seen in V338 Boo should shed light on some of th…
We present new radial velocities, improved pulsation periods and reference epoch s of 11 field RR Lyrae ab-type variables: AS Vir, BS Aps, CD Vel, DT Hya, RV Oct, TY Gru, UV Oct, V1645 Sgr, WY Ant, XZ Aps and Z Mic. This study is based on high resolution spectra obtained with the echelle spectro graph of the 2.5-m du Pont telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We obtained ~200 spectra per star (i.e, total of ~2300 spectra) distributed more or less uniformly throughout their pulsation cycles. Radial velocity curves and photometric lightcurves phased to our new ephemerides are presented for all …
We combine observed metallicity, optical and infrared magnitudes with evolutionary and pulsation models to derive average luminosities for 156 single-mode RR Lyrae stars. These luminosities are compared with those obtained from the Gaia EDR3 parallaxes, and found in excellent agreement with the high accuracy subsample (62 stars, with relative parallax errors less than 2%). With the temperature and metallicity scale used, no parallax shift seems to be necessary when alpha-enhanced evolutionary models are employed. Some 10% of the sample shows curious `distance keeping' between the evolutionary …
Hydrodynamic models of RR Lyrae pulsation display a very rich behaviour. Contrary to earlier expectations, high order resonances play a crucial role in the nonlinear dynamics representing the interacting modes. Chaotic attractors can be found at different time scales: both in the pulsation itself and in the amplitude equations shaping the possible modulation of the oscillations. Although there is no one-to-one connection between the nonlinear features found in the numerical models and the observed behaviour, the richness of the found phenomena suggests that the interaction of modes should be t…
We report the discovery of an RR Lyrae star that experienced a switching of its pulsation mode. OGLE-BLG-RRLYR-12245 was discovered as a double-mode RRd star from the observations conducted in years 2001-2006 during the third phase of the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE-III). The OGLE-IV observations carried out since 2010 reveal that this object is now a fundamental-mode RRab star, with no sign of the first-overtone pulsation. The analysis of the OGLE photometry shows that the final stage of the mode switching occurred on a relatively short timescale of a few months in 2005. We…
RR Lyrae stars are classical pulsating stars. They pulsate mostly in the radial fundamental mode (RRab stars), in the radial first overtone mode (RRc stars), or in both modes simultaneously (RRd stars). Collection of variable stars from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) contains more than 38 000 RR Lyrae stars from the Galactic bulge. We analysed these data for RRc and RRd stars. We have found new members of radial-non-radial double-mode RR Lyrae stars, with characteristic period ratio of the two modes around 0.61. We increased the number of known RR Lyrae stars of this type …
We report the discovery of a new Kepler first-overtone RR Lyrae pulsator, KIC 2831097. The pulsation shows large, 0.1 d amplitude, systematic phase variations that can be interpreted as light travel-time effect caused by orbital motion in a binary system, superimposed on a linear pulsation-period decrease. The assumed eccentric (e=0.47) orbit with the period of approximately 2 yr is the shortest among the non-eclipsing RR Lyrae binary candidates. The binary model gives a lowest estimate for the mass of the companion of 8.4 M_Sun, that places it among black hole candidates. Beside the first-ove…
We report the discovery of a new group of double-periodic stars in the OGLE Galactic bulge photometry. In 38 stars identified as fundamental mode RR~Lyrae and 4 classified as the first-overtone RR~Lyrae, we detected additional shorter periodicity. Periods of the dominant variability in the newly discovered group are $0.28<P_{\rm D}<0.41$\,days. Period ratios $(0.68 - 0.72)$ are smaller than the period ratios of the Galactic bulge RRd stars. The typical amplitude ratio (of the additional to the dominant periodicity) is 20\,\% for the stars identified as fundamental mode RR~Lyrae and 50\,\% for …
We present and discuss an extensive data set for the non-Blazhko ab-type RR Lyrae star SDSSJ015450+001501, including optical SDSS ugriz light curves and spectroscopic data, LINEAR and CSS unfiltered optical light curves, and infrared 2MASS JHKs and WISE W1 and W2 light curves. Most notably, light curves obtained by 2MASS include close to 9000 photometric measures collected over 3.3 years and provide exceedingly precise view of near-IR variability. These data demonstrate that static atmosphere models are insufficient to explain multi-band photometric light curve behavior and present strong cons…
We present the discovery of a new, peculiar form of double-periodic pulsation in RR Lyrae stars. In four, long-period ($P>0.6$ d) stars observed by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment, and classified as fundamental mode pulsators (RRab), we detect additional, low-amplitude variability, with period shorter than fundamental mode period. The period ratios fall in a range similar to double-mode fundamental and first overtone RR Lyrae stars (RRd), with the exception of one star, in which the period ratio is significantly lower and nearly exactly equals 0.7. Although period ratios are fairl…
We investigate the RR Lyrae population in NGC 147, a dwarf satellite galaxy of M31 (Andromeda). We used both Thuan-Gunn g-band ground-based photometry from the literature and Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 archival data in the F555W and F814W passbands to investigate the pulsation properties of RR Lyrae variable candidates in NGC 147. These datasets represent the two extreme cases often found in RR Lyrae studies with respect to the phase coverage of the observations and the quality of the photometric measurements. Extensive artificial variable star tests for both cases we…
We analyzed photometry for the up-to-date collection of the first-overtone RR Lyrae stars (RRc; 11415 stars) and double-mode RR Lyrae stars (RRd; 148 stars) towards the Galactic bulge from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment. We analyzed frequency spectra of these stars in search for additional, low-amplitude signals, beyond the radial modes. We focused on stars from two groups: $RR_{0.61}$ and $RR_{0.68}$. In the first group, additional low-amplitude signals have periods shorter than the first-overtone period; period ratios fall in the 0.60-0.64 range. In the second group, additional…
Classical Cepheid and RR Lyrae variables are fundamental tracers of cosmic distances and stellar evolution and pulsation. Light curve analysis and pulsation properties of these radially pulsating stars provide stringent tests for theoretical evolution and pulsation models. I discuss a detailed light curve analysis of classical Cepheid variables in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds at multiple wavelengths. The variation of light curve parameters as a function of period, wavelength and metallicity is quantified to constrain the theoretical parameters, such as, the mass-luminosity relations ob…
Homogeneous metallicities and continuous high-precision light curves play key roles in studying the pulsation properties of RR Lyrae stars. By cross-matching with LAMOST DR6, we have determined 7 and 50 Non-Blazhko RRab stars in the Kepler and K2 fields, respectively, who have homogeneous metallicities determined from low-resolution spectra of the LAMOST-Kepler/K2 project. The Fourier Decomposition method is applied to the light curves of these stars provided by the Kepler space based telescope to determine the fundamental pulsation periods and the pulsation parameters. The calculated amplitud…
Stellar Pulsation and Evolution: a Combined Theoretical Renewal and Updated Models (SPECTRUM) -- I: Updating radiative opacities for pulsation models of Classical Cepheid and RR-Lyrae
Double-mode RR Lyr type stars are important for studies of properties of horizontal-branch stars. In particular, two periods coupled with spectral properties give a mass estimate that is independent of evolutionary models. Here, we present 59 new Galactic double-mode RR Lyr stars found in the LINEAR survey data with the fundamental radial mode and the first overtone exited (RRd stars). These stars may be useful for constraining the mass-metallicity relation for field horizontal-branch stars. Also, new RRd stars found in the LMC by EROS-II are verified. We present the updated Petersen diagram a…
The number of stars observed by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) project in the Galactic bulge offers an invaluable chance to study RR Lyrae stars in a statistical manner. We used data of 3141 fundamental-mode RR Lyrae stars showing the Blazhko effect observed in OGLE-IV to investigate a possible connection between modulation amplitudes and periods, light curve and pulsation characteristics. We found that there is no simple monotonic correlation between any combination of two parameters concerning the Blazhko and pulsation amplitudes, periods and the shape of the light curve…
We present non-linear hydrodynamic pulsation models for OGLE-BLG-RRLYR-02792 - a 0.26M_sun pulsator, component of the eclipsing binary system, analysed recently by Pietrzynski et al. The star's light and radial velocity curves mimic that of classical RR Lyrae stars, except for the bump in the middle of the ascending branch of the radial velocity curve. We show that the bump is caused by the 2:1 resonance between the fundamental mode and the second overtone - the same mechanism that causes the Hertzsprung bump progression in classical Cepheids. The models allow to constrain the parameters of th…
Learned et. al. proposed that a sufficiently advanced extra-terrestrial civilization may tickle Cepheid and RR Lyrae variable stars with a neutrino beam at the right time, thus causing them to trigger early and jogging the otherwise very regular phase of their expansion and contraction. This would turn these stars into beacons to transmit information throughout the galaxy and beyond. The idea is to search for signs of phase modulation (in the regime of short pulse duration) and patterns, which could be indicative of intentional, omnidirectional signaling. We have performed such a search among …
RR Lyrae pulsating stars have been extensively used as tracers of old stellar populations for the purpose of determining the ages of galaxies, and as tools to measure distances to nearby galaxies. There was accordingly considerable interest when the RR Lyr star OGLE-BLG-RRLYR-02792 was found to be a member in an eclipsing binary system4, as the mass of the pulsator (hitherto constrained only by models) could be unambiguously determined. Here we report that RRLYR-02792 has a mass of 0.26 M_sun and therefore cannot be a classical RR Lyrae star. Through models we find that its properties are best…
We determine the fundamental stellar parameters of altogether 20 double-mode RR Lyrae (RRd) stars from the Galactic Field and the Large Magellanic Cloud, following our approach employed on the field RRd star BS Comae. The stars were selected to cover wide ranges of periods and period ratios, implying diverse stellar parameters. From the possible observed quantities we use only the periods and determine stellar parameter combinations that satisfy both current helium-burning evolutionary models and grids of linear non-adiabatic purely radiative pulsational models. Thus, the periods of an object …
This paper summarizes the main results of our recent study of the non-Blazhko RR Lyrae stars observed with the Kepler space telescope. These stars offer the opportunity for studying the stability of the pulsations of RR Lyrae stars and for providing a reference against which the Blazhko RR Lyrae stars can be compared. Of particular interest is the stability of the low-dispersion (sigma < 1mmag) light curves constructed from ~18,000 long-cadence (30-min) and (for FN Lyr and AW Dra) the ~150,000 short-cadence (1-min) photometric data points. Fourier-based [Fe/H] values and other physical charact…
The results presented are a continuation of observing campaigns conducted by a small group of amateur astronomers interested in the Blazhko effect of RR Lyrae stars. The goal of these observations is to confirm the RR Lyrae Blazhko effect and to detect any additional Blazhko modulation which cannot be identified from all sky survey data-mining. The Blazhko effect of the two observed stars is confirmed, but no additional Blazhko modulations have been detected. The observation of the RR Lyrae star AL Pic during 169 nights was conducted from San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). From the observed light c…
We document the presence of a few Cepheid and RR Lyrae variable stars with previously unrecognized characteristics. These stars exhibit the property of a period ratio of main pulsation divided by secondary pulsation P1/P2 very close to sqrt(2). Other stars of these types have period ratios which do not show clustering with a close association and a single remarkable non-harmonic number. Close examination reveals a deviation of multiples of a few times ~0.06% for these stars. This deviation seems to be present in discrete steps on the order of ~0.000390(4), indicating the possible presence of a…
Here we present the detailed analysis of some modulated Kepler and K2 RR Lyrae stars that show peculiar bump progression in respect to the pulsation phase.
We have developed a multidimensional radiation hydrodynamics code to simulate the interaction of radial stellar pulsation and convection for full amplitude pulsating models. Convection is computed using large eddy simulations. Here we perform three-dimensional simulations of RR Lyrae stars for comparison with previously reported two-dimensional simulations. We find that the time dependent behavior of the peak convective flux on pulsation phase is very similar in both the two-dimensional and three-dimensional calculations. The growth rates of the pulsation in the two-dimensional calculations ar…
The recent precise photometric observations and successes of the modelling efforts transformed our picture of the pulsation of RR Lyrae stars. The discovery of additional frequencies and the period doubling phenomenon revealed that a significant interaction may occur between pulsational modes. The signs of irregularities were detected both in observed light curves and hydrodynamic calculations. In this paper we present the analysis of four peculiar hydrodynamic model solutions. All four solutions were found to be chaotic. The fractal (Lyapunov) dimensions of their attractors were calculated to…
We present results from a comparative study of light curves of Cepheid and RR Lyrae stars in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds with their theoretical models generated from the stellar pulsation codes. Fourier decomposition method is used to analyse the theoretical and the observed light curves at multiple wavelengths. In case of RR Lyrae stars, the amplitude and Fourier parameters from the models are consistent with observations in most period bins except for low metal-abundances ($Z<0.004$). In case of Cepheid variables, we observe a greater offset between models and observations for both …
The Blazhko effect is a long term, generally irregular modulation of the light curves that occurs in a sizeable number of RR Lyrae stars. The physical origin of the effect has been a puzzle ever since its discovery over a hundred years ago. We build here upon the recent observational and theoretical work of Szabo et al. on RRab stars who found with hydrodynamical simulations that the fundamental pulsation mode can get destabilized by a 9:2 resonant interaction with the 9th overtone. Alternating pulsation cycles arise, although these remain periodic, i.e. not modulated as in the observations. H…
I review different types of multi-mode pulsations observed in classical Cepheids and in RR Lyrae-type star. The presentation concentrates on the newest results, with special emphasis on recently detected nonradial oscillations.
We present a detailed abundance study of 11 RR Lyrae ab-type variables: AS Vir, BS Aps, CD Vel, DT Hya, RV Oct, TY Gru, UV Oct, V1645 Sgr, WY Ant, XZ Aps, and Z Mic.High resolution and high S/N echelle spectra of these variables were obtained with 2.5 m du Pont telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory. We obtained more than 2300 spectra, roughly 200 spectra per star, distributed more or less uniformly throughout the pulsational cycles. A new method has been developed to obtain initial effective temperature of our sample stars at a specific pulsational phase. We find that the abundance ratios …
We use the pulsational properties of the RR Lyrae variables in the globular cluster NGC 1851 to obtain detailed constraints of the various sub-stellar populations present along its horizontal branch. On the basis of detailed synthetic horizontal branch modeling, we find that minor helium variations (Y~0.248-0.280) are able to reproduce the observed periods and amplitudes of the RR Lyrae variables, as well as the frequency of fundamental and first-overtone RR Lyrae stars. Comparison of number ratios amongst the blue and red horizontal branch components and the two observed subgiant branches als…
We report the discovery of an intriguing triple-mode RR Lyrae star found in the OGLE Galactic bulge collection, OGLE-BLG-RRLYR-24137. In the OGLE catalog the star was identified as RRd star - double-mode pulsator, pulsating simultaneously in the fundamental and in the first overtone modes. We find that third mode is excited and firmly detect its period doubling. Period ratios are not far from that expected for triple-mode - fundamental, first and third overtone - pulsation. Unfortunately, we cannot reproduce period ratios of the three modes with a consistent set of pulsation models. Therefore …
On the basis of an extended set of nonlinear convective RR Lyrae pulsation models we derive the first theoretical light curves in the Gaia bands and the corresponding intensity-weighted mean magnitudes and pulsation amplitudes. The effects of chemical com-position on the derived Bailey diagrams in the Gaia filters are discussed for both Fundamental and First Overtone mode pulsators. The inferred mean magnitudes and colors are used to derive the first theoretical Period-Wesenheit relations for RR Lyrae in the Gaia filters. The application of the theoretical Period-Wesenheit relations for both t…
During intensive/comparative studies with Preston's spectroscopic works (1961, 1962, 1964 & 1965) on RR Lyrae atmospheric phenomena, I unexpectedly found the existence of hypersonic shock waves (Chadid 1996 & 2008), that are strongly connected with the turbulence amplification mechanism (Chadid 1996b) and the Blazhko modulation (1997). Here I will show how the hypersonic shocks are at the origin of helium line formation and connected with the helium emission and line doubling detected by Preston (2009, 2011). I will present new neutral and single ionized helium line data in the hypersonic Blaz…
The results of an observation campaign of V0784 Ophiuchi over a time span of two years have revealed a multi-periodic Blazhko effect. A Blazhko effect for V0784 Ophiuchi has not been reported previously. From the observed light curves, 60 pulsation maxima have been measured. The Fourier analyses of the (O-C) values and of magnitudes at maximum light have revealed a main Blazhko period of 24.51 days but also two other secondary Blazhko modulations with periods of 34.29 and 31.07 days. A complete light curve Fourier analysis with PERIOD04 has shown triplet structures based on main and secondary …
Messier 15 (NGC 7078) is an old and metal-poor post core-collapse globular cluster which hosts a rich population of variable stars. We report new optical ($gi$) and near-infrared (NIR, $JK_s$) multi-epoch observations for 129 RR Lyrae, 4 Population II Cepheids (3 BL Herculis, 1 W Virginis), and 1 anomalous Cepheid variable candidate in M15 obtained using the MegaCam and the WIRCam instruments on the 3.6-m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Multi-band data are used to improve the periods and classification of variable stars, and determine accurate mean magnitudes and pulsational amplitudes from th…
The overtone and multi-mode RR Lyrae stars in the globular cluster M3 are studied using a 200-d long, $B,V$ and $I_{\mathrm C}$ time-series photometry obtained in 2012. 70\% of the 52 overtone variables observed show some kind of multi-periodicity (additional frequency at ${f_{0.61}}={f_{\mathrm {1O}}}/0.61$ frequency ratio, Blazhko effect, double/multi-mode pulsation, period doubling). A signal at 0.587 frequency ratio to the fundamental-mode frequency is detected in the double-mode star, V13, which may be identified as the second radial overtone mode. If this mode-identification is correct, …
We present the analysis of Blazhko-type modulation in double-mode RR Lyrae (RRd) stars found in the OGLE photometry of the Galactic bulge. Modulation is detected in 15 stars. Most of them have non-typical period ratio of the radial modes. In the Petersen diagram, at a given period of the fundamental mode, they are located significantly below or above the sequence formed by the majority of RRd stars. Multi-periodic modulation is very frequent; two or three modulation periods are detected in 8 stars. Modulation periods vary from ~20 to more than 300 days. Radial mode amplitudes can be modulated …
Theoretical RR Lyrae Instability Strip from MESA-RSP Pulsation models and updated BaSTI Evolutionary Tracks
INAF-Osservatorio astronomico di Capodimonte（意大利国家天体物理研究所卡波迪蒙特天文台）；Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA)（大学间天文学与天体物理学中心）；INFN – Sezione di Pisa（意大利国家核物理研究所比萨分部）；INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Abruzzo（意大利国家天体物理研究所阿布鲁佐天文台）；Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)—Sez. di Napoli（意大利国家核物理研究所那不勒斯分部）
RR Lyrae stars have been observed to improve the insight into the processes at work in their atmospheres. Simultaneous Stroemgren-photometry allows to obtain a rapid sequence of measurements in which photometric indices are unaffected by non-optimum observing conditions. The indices y, b-y, and c_1 are used with an established calibration to derive T_eff and to derive the gravity, log g_BJ from the Balmer jump, throughout the pulsation cycle. By employing the equations for stellar structure, additional parameters can be derived. Stroemgren photometry and its calibration in terms of T_eff and l…
We present our analysis of a large sample (over 150k) of candidate Galactic RR Lyrae (RRL) stars for which we derived high quality photometry at UV, optical and infrared wavelengths, using data from publicly available surveys. For a sub-sample of these stars (~2,400 fundamental mode field RRLs) we have measured their individual metallicity using the Delta S method, resulting in the largest and most homogeneous spectroscopic data set collected for RRLs. We use this sample to study the metallicity distribution in the Galactic Halo, including the long-standing problem of the Oosterhoff dichotomy …
The additional signals observed in the frequency spectra of the first-overtone RR Lyrae stars, that form a period ratio around 0.61 with the period of the first overtone, are a common phenomenon for RRc and RRd stars, as well as for first-overtone classical Cepheids. The recently proposed model explains these signals as harmonics of non-radial modes of degrees 8 or 9 in the case of RR Lyrae stars and 7, 8, or 9 in the case of classical Cepheids. We selected at least triple-mode RR Lyrae stars pulsating in radial and non-radial modes for asteroseismic modeling. We assume the identification of t…
We present new nonlinear, time-dependent convective hydrodynamical models of RR Lyrae stars computed assuming a constant helium-to-metal enrichment ratio and a broad range in metal abundances (Z=0.0001--0.02). The stellar masses and luminosities adopted to construct the pulsation models were fixed according to detailed central He burning Horizontal Branch evolutionary models. The pulsation models cover a broad range in stellar luminosity and effective temperatures and the modal stability is investigated for both fundamental and first overtones. We predict the topology of the instability strip …
A high percentage of the astrophysically important RR Lyrae stars show a periodic amplitude and/or phase modulation of their pulsation cycles. More than a century after its discovery, this "Blazhko effect" still lacks acceptable theoretical understanding. In one of the plausible models for explaining the phenomenon, the modulation is caused by the effects of a magnetic field. So far, the available observational data have not allowed us to either support nor rule out the presence of a magnetic field in RR Lyrae stars. We intend to determine whether RR Lyrae stars are generally characterized by …
Space-based photometric telescopes stirred up stellar astrophysics in the last decade, and RR Lyrae stars have not been an exception from that either. The long, quasi-continuous, high-precision data from MOST, CoRoT and Kepler revealed a wealth of new insights about this well-known variable class. One of the most surprising mysteries turned out to be the apparent omnipresence of a common additional mode in all RRd and RRc stars. Moreover, fundamental-mode stars seem to populate two distinct classes, one of which is characterized by the presence of additional modes and/or modulation, and anothe…
Rapid and strong changes in the Blazhko modulation of RR Lyrae stars, as they have recently been detected in high precision satellite data, have become a crucial topic in finding an explanation of the long-standing mystery of the Blazhko effect. We present here an analysis of the most extreme case detected so far, the RRab star V445 Lyr (KIC 6186029) which was observed with the Kepler space mission. V445 Lyr shows very strong cycle-to-cycle changes in its Blazhko modulation, which are caused both by a secondary long-term modulation period as well as irregular variations. In addition to the com…
A thorough analysis of multicolour CCD observations of two modulated RRab-type variables, XY And and UZ Vir is presented. These Blazhko stars show relatively simple light-curve modulation with the usual multiplet structures in their Fourier spectra. One additional, independent frequency with linear-combination terms of the pulsation frequency is also detected in the residual spectrum of each of the two stars. The amplitude and phase relations of the triplet components are studied in detail. Most of the epoch-independent phase differences show a slight, systematic colour dependence, however, th…
The Blazhko effect is the conspicuous amplitude and phase modulation of the pulsation of RR Lyrae stars that was discovered in the early 20th century. The field of study of this mysterious modulation has recently been invigorated thanks to the space photometric missions providing long, uninterrupted, ultra-precise time series data. In this paper I give a brief overview of the new observational findings related to the Blazhko effect, like extreme modulations, irregular modulation cycles and additional periodicities. I argue that these findings together with dedicated ground-based efforts now pr…
We present our results of searching for differences in light curves of modulated and non-modulated RRab stars in the Galactic bulge. We examined a sample of more than 8000 stars. The most important results are that Blazhko stars have shorter pulsation periods, less skewed mean light curves, lower mean amplitudes, larger rise-time, no difference in spatial distribution and metallicity.
A compilation of photometric time-series data of NGC 4147 spanning 58 years, enabled to study the secular behaviour of the pulsation period in the population of RR Lyrae stars in the cluster. The traditional O-C diagram approach was employed. Three stars display a significant period decrease and two a comparable period increase. Nevertheless, the median value of the whole sample is nearly zero, which seems consistent with theoretical expectations. The limitations of empirical determinations of secular period changes in globular clusters to corroborate evolutionary theoretical predictions are d…
The first detection of the period doubling phenomenon is reported in the Kepler RR Lyrae stars RR Lyr, V808 Cyg and V355 Lyr. Interestingly, all these pulsating stars show Blazhko modulation. The period doubling manifests itself as alternating maxima and minima of the pulsational cycles in the light curve, as well as through the appearance of half-integer frequencies located halfway between the main pulsation period and its harmonics in the frequency spectrum. The effect was found to be stronger during certain phases of the modulation cycle. We were able to reproduce the period doubling bifurc…
New R-band observations of 21 local field RR Lyrae variable stars are used to explore the reliability of minimum light (V-R) colors as a tool for measuring interstellar reddening. For each star, R-band intensity mean magnitudes and light amplitudes are presented. Corresponding V-band light curves from the literature are supplemented with the new photometry, and (V-R) colors at minimum light are determined for a subset of these stars as well as for other stars in the literature. Two different definitions of minimum light color are examined, one which uses a Fourier decomposition to the V and R …
We developed an Inverse Photometric method (IPM) to determine global physical parameters of RR Lyrae stars exclusively from multicolor light curves (Sódor, Jurcsik & Szeidl, 2009, MNRAS, 394, 261). We showed that for good quality photometric observations of unmodulated RRab stars, the IPM gives similarly good results as direct Baade-Wesselink analyses do, but without the need for spectroscopic measurements. In the course of the development, we payed special attention to the applicability of the IPM for modulated RR Lyrae stars. Since there is no simultaneous spectroscopic radial velocity and p…
The MACHO Project collected photometry of many RR Lyrae stars from its observations of the Milky Way's bulge. We examined the lightcurves of 3256 stars identified as RRab Lyr variables by \cite{Kund2008}, subtracting an empirical model of the pulsation lightcurve and searching for periodic variation in the residuals. There are no systems which show the brief dips in light characteristic of detached eclipsing binary systems. We discuss the results for objects which show the largest residual periodic modulation, most of which are probably due to aliases of the fundamental period.
