Velocity Curves and Pulsating Variables
Later we shall discuss pulsating variable stars.
These stars
exhibit a variation in light output and periodic Doppler
shifts because of the pulsation of the surface. As we shall see shortly when we discuss eclipsing
variables, a spectroscopic binary that is also an eclipsing binary exhibits periodic changes in light
output and fluctuating red and blue Doppler shifts too.
Thus, it is sometimes difficult to
determine whether a variable is a pulsating variable or an eclipsing binary. Careful
analysis of the light curve's details can often distinguish these two cases.