A search for pulsations in chemically peculiar stars
Uma Shankar Chaubey Aryabhatta

Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Nainital
E-mail: uschau@aries.res.in

Abstract. Chemically Peculiar (CP) stars are hydrogen burning main sequence stars in the spectral range B8-F0. These stars have anomalous abundances, an over abundances of heavy elements up to a factor of 105 and under abundance of some light elements up to a factor 10-2. Among these stars, a group of stars have magnetic fields and this group is termed as A-peculiar (Ap) stars. Pulsation is ubiquitous among chemically normal A-type stars, but comparatively rare among chemically peculiar Am and Ap stars of same spectral range. The conventional explanation for this is that diffusion produces the surface abundance anomalies in the chemically peculiar stars and also drains He from He II ionization zone, thus quenching the kappa - mechanism that drives the pulsation. Using 104 cm telescope of Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, we have observed 64 chemically stars between January 2006 to April 2009. From those observations, a total of four new pulsating variables (two roAp type variables and two Delta - Scuti type variables) have been discovered. Apart from these, in three other stars, we have also noted some variabilities. To confirm their variabilities, more observations are needed.