SPECTRA OF TYPE II CEPHEID CANDIDATES AND RELATED STARS

Authors

Edward G. Schmidt, University of Nebraska at LincolnFollow
Danielle Rogalla, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Lauren Thacker-Lynn, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2-2011

Comments

Published in The Astronomical Journal, 141:53 (10pp), 2011 February doi:10.1088/0004-6256/141/2/53 Copyright 2011 The American Astronomical Society. Used by permission.

Abstract

We present low-resolution spectra for variable stars in the Cepheid period range from the ROTSE-I Demonstration Project and the All Sky Automated Survey, some of which were previously identified as type II Cepheid candidates. We have derived effective temperatures, gravities, and metallicities from the spectra. Based on this, three types of variables were identified: Cepheid strip stars, cool stars that lie along the red subgiant and giant branch, and cool main-sequence stars. Many fewer type II Cepheids were found than expected and most have amplitudes less than 0.4 mag. The cool variables include many likely binaries as well as intrinsic variables. Variation among the main-sequence stars is likely to be mostly due to binarity or stellar activity