Investigation of Structure in the Light Curves of a Sample of Newly Discovered Long Period Variable Stars
Volume 43 number 2 (2015)
- Eric R. Craine
- Western Research Company, Inc. and GNAT, Inc., 3275 W. Ina Road, Suite 217, Tucson, AZ 85741; send email correspondence to ercraine@wrc-inc.com
- Roger B. Culver
- Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, and GNAT, Inc.
- Richard Eykholt
- Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
- K. M. Flurchick
- Department of Physics, North Carolina Agriculture and Technology University, 1601 E. Market Street, Greensboro, NC, 27411, and GNAT, Inc.
- Adam L. Kraus
- Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712, and GNAT, Inc.
- Roy A. Tucker
- Goodricke-Pigott Observatory, 5500 West Nebraska Street, Tucson, Arizona 85757, and GNAT, Inc.
- Douglas K. Walker
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Canterbury, New Zealand and GNAT, Inc.
Abstract
Long period variable stars exhibit hump structures, and possibly flares, in their light curves. While the existence of humps is not controversial, the presence of flaring activity is less clear. Mining of a sky survey database of new variable star discoveries (the first MOTESS-GNAT Variable Star Catalog (MG1-VSC)) has led to identification of 47 such stars for which there are sufficient data to explore the presence of anomalous light curve features. We find a number of hump structures, and see one possible flare, suggesting that they are rare events. We present light curves and measured parameters for these stars, and a population statistical analysis.