A few months back I created a site to predict binary star eclipses - https://eclipsingstars.org/
Reusing the same code I have created another. This time for pulsating stars - https://pulsatingstars.org/. Whilst it is up and working I still have a few minor issues to resolve (mostly website copy).
However I am having a struggle interpreting the GCVS catalog data for pulsating stars:
- I am assuming that the epoch and period combination predicted the minima for eclipsing binary stars, and the maxima for pulsating stars.
- M-m/D field is a percentage of the period that the eclipse occurs for binaries (manly EB types). What does it represent for pulsating stars - I would have assumed this is a continuous process and would look more or less sinusoidal, but there are pulsating stars with a value in this field e.g. YZ Boo and TW Her.
These types of star have have distinctly sawtooth pulsations with the rise time shorter than the fall. eg YZ Boo has a catalogued rise time of 31% which seems to tally with the actual light curve
EDIT:from the catalogue field descriptions
Rise_Eclipse_Time
This parameter contains either the rise time (M-m) for intrinsic variables, or the duration of the eclipse (D) for eclipsing binaries, both given as a percentage of the period value for the star. These values help to define the shape of the light curve.
Cheers
Robin