Most Rotational Variables Dominated by a Single Bright Feature Are α 2 CVn Stars

Abstract

Abstract We previously reported a rare class of variable star light curves isolated from a sample of 4.7 million candidate variables from the ATLAS survey. Dubbed “UCBH” light curves, they have broad minima and narrow, symmetrical maxima, with typical periods of 1–10 days and amplitudes of 0.05–0.20 mag. They maintain constant amplitude, shape, and phase coherence over multiple years but do not match any known class of pulsating variables. A localized bright spot near the equator of a rotating star will produce a UCBH-type light curve for most viewing geometries. Most stars that exhibit rotational variability caused primarily by a single bright feature should therefore appear as UCBH stars, although a rotating bright spot is not the only thing that could produce a UCBH-type light curve. We have spectroscopically investigated 14 UCBH stars and found 10 of them to be Ap/Bp stars: A-type or B-type stars with greatly enhanced photospheric abundances of specific heavy elements. Rotationally variable Ap/Bp stars are referred to as α 2 CVn variables. Most ATLAS UCBH stars are therefore α 2 CVn stars, although only a minority of α 2 CVn stars in the literature have UCBH light curves. The fact that α 2 CVn stars dominate the UCBH class suggests that lone bright spots with sufficient size and contrast develop more readily on Ap/Bp stars than on any other type. The α 2 CVn UCBH stars may be characterized by a specific magnetic field topology, making them intriguing targets for future Zeeman–Doppler imaging.