Pulsating Variable
Wiley Book of Astronomy:
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pulsating variable
A type of variable star whose light output, surface temperature, and spectrum change because of a periodic expansion and contraction of the star's upper layers. If the pulsation is radial, it occurs symmetrically over the whole surface so that the star remains spherical. This is the case with most giant and supergiant pulsating variables, including Cepheid variables, RR Lyrae stars, RV Tauri stars, and Mira stars. If the pulsation is nonradial, as for example with ZZ Ceti stars, waves run in all directions over the star's surface giving rise to multiple periods and a complex pattern of nodes and antinodes.
Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy:
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Pulsating Variable
Any intrinsic variable in which the flow of energy from the interior varies in a more or less rhythmic manner, causing large-scale motion in the outer layers and resulting in brightness changes. The pulsation may be essentially symmetrical (radial pulsation), or take the form of waves travelling across the star's surface (non-radial pulsation), or combine both forms. As stars evolve they all pass through one or more pulsating stages.
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Wiley Book of Astronomy
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