A slow irregular variable (ascribed the GCVS types L, LB and LC) is a variable star that exhibit no or very poorly defined periodicity in their slowly changing light emissions. These stars have often been little-studied, and once more is learnt about them, they are reclassified into other categories such as semiregular variables.
Nomenclature
Irregular variable stars were first given acronyms based on the letter "I": Ia, Ib. and Ic.1 These were later refined so that the I codes were used "nebular" or "rapidly irregular" variable stars such as T Tauri and Orion variables. The remaining irregular stars, cool slowly varying giants and supergiants of type Ib or Ic were reassigned to Lb and Lc.2 When the General Catalogue of Variable Stars standardised its acronyms to be all uppercase, the codes LB and LC were used.3
Type Lb
Slow irregular variables of late spectral types (K, M, C, S); as a rule, they are giants4
The GCVS also claims to give this type to slow irregular red variables where the luminosity or spectral type is not known, although it also uses the type L for slow irregular red stars where the spectral type or luminosity is unclear. The K5 star CO Cygni is given as a representative example.5
Type Lc
Irregular variable supergiants of late spectral types having amplitudes of about 1 mag in V6
The M2 supergiant TZ Cassiopeiae is given as a representative example.7
List
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
List of Slow Irregular Variables8| Designation (name) | Constellation | Discovery | Apparent magnitude (Maximum)9 | Apparent magnitude (Minimum)10 | Range of magnitude | Spectral type | Subtype | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U Antliae | Antlia | 8m.1 (p) | 9m.7 (p) | 1.6 | N:v | Lb | ||
| Beta Pegasi | Pegasus | Schmidt, 1847 | 2m.31 | 2m.74 | 0.43 | M2.3 II-III | Lb | |
| Epsilon Pegasi (Enif) | Pegasus | 2m.37 | 2m.45 | 0.07 | K2 Ib | Lc | ||
| TX Piscium | Pisces | 4m.79 | 5m.20 | 0.42 | C5 III | Lb | ||
| Alpha Scorpii (Antares) | Scorpius | 0m.88 | 1m.16 | 0.28 | M1.5 Iab-b | Lc | ||
| Alpha Tauri (Aldebaran) | Taurus | 0m.75 | 0m.95 | 0.20 | K5 III | Lb | ||
| Mu Geminorum | Gemini | 2m.75 | 3m.02 | 0.28 | M3 III | Lb | ||
| BE Camelopardalis | Camelopardalis | 4m.35 | 4m.48 | 0.13 | M2 II | Lc | ||
| Tau4 Eridani | Eridanus | 3m.57 | 3m.72 | 0.15 | M3 III | Lb | ||
| 13 Boötis | Bootes | 5m.29 | 5m.38 | 0.09 | M2 IIIab | Lb | ||
| Psi Virginis | Virgo | 4m.73 | 4m.96 | 0.23 | M3 III | Lb | ||
| V854 Arae | Ara | 5m.84 | 5m.99 | 0.12 | M1.5 III | Lb | ||
| 62 Sagittarii | Sagittarius | 4m.45 | 4m.62 | 0.17 | M4 III | Lb | ||
| CQ Camelopardalis | Camelopardalis | 5m.15 | 5m.27 | 0.12 | M0 II | Lc | ||
| Pi Aurigae | Auriga | 4m.24 | 4m.34 | 0.10 | M3.5 II | Lc | ||
| NO Aurigae | Auriga | 6m.06 | 6m.44 | 0.58 | M2 Iab | Lc | ||
| Omicron1 Canis Majoris | Canis Major | 3m.78 | 3m.99 | 0.21 | M2.5 Iab | Lc | ||
| Sigma Canis Majoris | Canis Major | 3m.43 | 3m.51 | 0.08 | M1.5 Iab | Lc | ||
| NS Puppis | Puppis | 4m.4 | 4m.5 | 0.1 | K3 Ib | Lc | ||
| Lambda Velorum | Vela | 2m.14 | 2m.30 | 0.16 | K4 Ib-IIa | Lc | ||
| V337 Carinae | Carina | 3m.36 | 3m.44 | 0.08 | K3 II | Lc | ||
| GZ Velorum | Vela | 3m.43 | 3m.81 | 0.38 | K3 II | Lc | ||
| RX Telescopii | Telescopium | 6m.6 | 7m.4 | 0.8 | M3 Iab | Lc | ||
| 45 G. Volantis | Volans | 5m.89 | 5m.90 | 0.01 | M1III | Lb | ||
| AF Columbae | Columba | Perryman et al., 1997 | 5m.60 | 5m.71 | 0.11 | M2 II/III | Lb |
Other irregular variables
There are a number of other types of variable stars lacking clearly detectable periods, and which are sometimes referred to as irregular variables:11
- γ Cassiopeiae variables, eruptive shell stars
- Orion variables, pre-main-sequence stars, including T Tauri stars and YY Orionis stars
- Rapid irregular variables, possibly similar to Orion variables with shorter period
- Poorly-defined irregular variable stars, of unknown type
In addition, many types of eruptive or cataclysmic variable are highly unpredictable.12
External links
- Classifying variable stars - Astronomical Society of South Australia
- Why observe variable stars - British Astronomical Association
References
Kholopov, P. N. (1959). "A Revised List of T-Associations and Their Members". Soviet Astronomy. 3: 291. Bibcode:1959SvA.....3..291K. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩
Mayall, Margaret W. (1964). "Variable Star Notes- from the XII General Assembly, I.A.U.; 043274 X Camelopardalis". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 58: 283. Bibcode:1964JRASC..58..283M. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩
"GCVS Variability Types". Retrieved 2016-09-04. http://www.sai.msu.su/groups/cluster/gcvs/gcvs/iii/vartype.txt ↩
"GCVS Variability Types". Retrieved 2016-09-04. http://www.sai.msu.su/groups/cluster/gcvs/gcvs/iii/vartype.txt ↩
"GCVS Variability Types". Retrieved 2016-09-04. http://www.sai.msu.su/groups/cluster/gcvs/gcvs/iii/vartype.txt ↩
"GCVS Variability Types". Retrieved 2016-09-04. http://www.sai.msu.su/groups/cluster/gcvs/gcvs/iii/vartype.txt ↩
"GCVS Variability Types". Retrieved 2016-09-04. http://www.sai.msu.su/groups/cluster/gcvs/gcvs/iii/vartype.txt ↩
Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1: 02025. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩
(visual magnitude, unless marked (B) (= blue) or (p) (= photographic)) ↩
(visual magnitude, unless marked (B) (= blue) or (p) (= photographic)) ↩
Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1: 02025. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩
Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1: 02025. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩