A study of the beta Cephei stars

Abstract

The β Cephei stars are a group of short period variable stars which have been known to astronomers since shortly after the turn of the century. The group prototype, β Cephei, was found by Frost at Yerkes in 1902 while conducting radial velocity observations. The problems associated with interpreting the short period of 4.5 hours in the radial velocity variations in terms of a binary hypothesis were immediately apparent . These problems were compounded by Guthnick's discovery in 1913 that light variations of .05 mag occurred but that these did not resemble the variations in eclipsing variables.