Characterization of COROT target fields with best:: Identification of periodic variable stars in the IR01 field

We report on observations of the COROT IR01 field with the Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope ( BEST). BEST is a small- aperture telescope with a wide field of view ( FOV). It is dedicated to searching for variable stars within the target fields of the COROT space mission to aid in minimizing false- alarm rates, and identifying potential targets for additional science. COROT's observational program started in 2007 February, with the initial run'' field ( IR01) observed for about 2 months. BEST observed this field for 12 nights spread over 3 months in winter 2006. From the total of 30,426 stars observed in the IR01 field, 3769 were marked as suspected variable stars, and 54 of these showed clear periodicity. From these, 19 periodic stars are within the part of the COROT FOV covered in our data set.