The light curves of the short-period variable stars in the Carina dwarf Spheroidal galaxy

Abstract

The re-analysis of the data reported by Mateo et al. (1998) allowed us to obtain a partially different set of frequencies for the 20 short period variable stars discovered in the Carina dSph galaxy. They are subdivided into 6 overtone-pulsators, 13 fundamental-pulsators; 1 case remains uncertain. The analysis of the light curves was conducted star by star and the first Fourier parameters were obtained for 17 variables. No clear separation between pulsation modes is discernible in the F21-P plot, but the very narrow range of the observed periods hampered us to consider that statement as a definitive one. A more extensive observational study is recommended, since a preliminary comparison with galactic variable stars displays small differences in the F21 values. Owing to the high standard deviation of the fit, the possibility that some stars are double-mode pulsators is also suggested.