Central Stars of Young Planetary Nebulae - A New Class of Variables

Abstract

A new class of variable star is proposed. These are variable central stars of young Planetary Nebulae exhibiting roughly sinusoidal (semi)regular photometric and/or radial velocity variations with time scales of several hours. Fourteen of these objects have been identified. Their temperatures are between 25000 and 50000 K and most show hydrogen-rich spectra. The most likely reason for the variability is stellar pulsation. Another possibility would be variable stellar mass loss, but in that case the mechansism causing it must be different from that operating in massive O stars. We speculate that it actually is the stellar pulsations which cause mass loss mdulations.