BETA-CEPHEI STARS FROM A PHOTOMETRIC POINT-OF-VIEW

This is an observational review, with an emphasis on photometric data and their interpretation. Two lists are presented, one containing beta Cephei stars, and the other, beta Cephei suspects. These lists then s erve as a basis for discussing such topics as the location of beta Cep hei stars in the observational and theoretical H-R diagrams, the evolu tionary state of these stars, the period-luminosity and period-luminos ity-color relations, and observational identification of pulsation mod es. The paper also includes references to recent work connected with t he theoretical discovery that an opacity mechanism is responsible for the excitation of beta Cephei-star pulsations. Finally, observational programs for verifying the consequences of this discovery are suggeste d.