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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. 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. When the General Catalogue of Variable Stars standardised its acronyms to be all uppercase, the codes LB and LC were used.

Type Lb

Slow irregular variables of late spectral types (K, M, C, S); as a rule, they are giants

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.

Type Lc

Irregular variable supergiants of late spectral types having amplitudes of about 1 mag in V

The M2 supergiant TZ Cassiopeiae is given as a representative example.

List

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:

• 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.

References

1. Kholopov, P. N. (1959). "A Revised List of T-Associations and Their Members". Soviet Astronomy. 3: 291. Bibcode:1959SvA.....3..291K.
2. 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.
3. ^ "GCVS Variability Types". Retrieved 2016-09-04.
4. ^ 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.
5. ^ (visual magnitude, unless marked (B) (= blue) or (p) (= photographic))

External links

• Classifying variable stars - Astronomical Society of South Australia
• Why observe variable stars - British Astronomical Association

v t e Variable stars
Pulsating	Cepheids and cepheid-like Type I (Classical cepheids, Delta Scuti) Type II (BL Herculis, W Virginis, RV Tauri) RR Lyrae Rapidly oscillating Ap SX Phoenicis Blue-white with early spectra Alpha Cygni Beta Cephei Slowly pulsating B-type PV Telescopii Blue large-amplitude pulsator Long-period Mira Semiregular Slow irregular Other Gamma Doradus Solar-like oscillations White dwarf
Eruptive	Protostar and PMS Herbig Ae/Be Orion FU Orionis T Tauri Giants and supergiants Luminous blue variable R Coronae Borealis (DY Persei) Yellow hypergiant Eruptive binary Double periodic FS Canis Majoris RS Canum Venaticorum Other Flare Gamma Cassiopeiae Lambda Eridani Wolf–Rayet
Cataclysmic	AM Canum Venaticorum Dwarf nova Luminous red nova Nova Polar Intermediate Supernova Hypernova SW Sextantis Symbiotic Symbiotic nova Z Andromedae
Rotating	Non-spherical Rotating ellipsoidal Stellar spots BY Draconis FK Comae Berenices Magnetic fields α Canum Venaticorum Pulsar SX Arietis
Eclipsing	Algol Beta Lyrae Planetary transit W Ursae Majoris
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