Some recent results for the roAp stars

Abstract

Three topics are discussed: 1) Photometric observations of the rapidly oscillating Ap stars have shown that the pulsation amplitude drops dramatically as a function of wavelength from the blue to the red. A theoretical derivation, plus modelling, indicates that this is because the vertical wavelength of the pulsation mode is short compared to the scale height of the atmosphere; in fact, it indicates that we are seeing a pulsation node in the observable atmosphere. Radial velocity observations, and theoretical calculations now support this. The implication for other research on CP stars is that this can provide observational constraints on the atmospheric structure independent of traditional spectral analysis. 2) Luminosities of roAp stars can be determined from asteroseismology. A recent comparison of such asteroseismic luminosities with HIPPARCOS luminosities is shown. This suggests that roAp stars have lower temperatures and/or smaller radii than previous models have used, or that the magnetic fields in these stars alter the frequency separations. 3) The latest results of our long-term monitoring of the pulsation frequencies in certain roAp stars are discussed. There is a clear cyclic variability to the pulsation cavity, hence the sound speed and/or sound travel time (radius) of these stars. This might be indicative of magnetic cycles at a level that magnetic measurements cannot currently detect, although there is no theoretical support for such an idea.