RT Aur and SZ tau UBV light curves

Specifically, we observed a Cepheid pulsating in the fundamental mode and one pulsating in the first overtone with the Canadian MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars) satellite. The 3.7-d period fundamental mode pulsator (RT Aur) has a light curve that repeats precisely, and can be modelled by a Fourier series very accurately.

The overtone pulsator (SZ Tau, 3.1d period) on the other hand shows light-curve variation from cycle to cycle which we characterize by the variations in the Fourier parameters. We present arguments that we are seeing instability in the pulsation cycle of the overtone pulsator, and that this is also a characteristic of the O-C curves of overtone pulsators. On the other hand, deviations from cycle to cycle as a function of pulsation phase follow a similar pattern in both stars, increasing after minimum radius.