TWO NEW VARIABLE HOT DQ STARS

We have discovered periodic variations in the light curves of two hot DQ stars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, SDSS J220029.08-074121.5 and SDSS J234843.30-094245.3. These are the second and third variables detected among the hot DQs and confirm the existence of a new class of variable white dwarf stars. The amplitudes of the variations are one half as large as those detected in the first discovered variable, SDSS J142625.71 + 575218.3, and required high signal-to-noise photometry to detect. The pulse shapes of the stars are not like those of known white dwarf pulsators but are similar to the first hot DQ variable, SDSS J142625.71 + 575218.3.