# Classical Cepheid Pulsation Models. III. The Predictable Scenario.

## 1 INTRODUCTION

This is the third paper of a series devoted to the pulsational properties of classical Cepheids predicted by nonlinear pulsation models. In paper I (Bono, Marconi & Stellingwerf 1999) we presented both numerical and physical assumptions adopted for constructing nonlinear, convective models, and discussed the approach to limit cycle stability of both fundamental and first overtone pulsators. By adopting the periods and the modal stability predicted by these models, paper II (Bono et al. 1999a) was focused on the Period-Luminosity (PL), the Period-Color (PC), and on the Period-Luminosity-Color (PLC) relations at selected stellar chemical compositions. Moreover, Bono, Caputo, & Marconi (1998) have already discussed the satisfactory agreement between empirical Cepheid radii and the corresponding theoretical predictions based on this new theoretical scenario.

However, nonlinear models do provide many more predictions, such as the pulsational amplitudes and the morphology of both light and velocity curves, which can be directly compared with the observed Cepheid properties. Even though some of these properties were already investigated on the basis of linear (Chiosi, Wood, & Capitanio 1993; Simon & Young 1997; Saio & Gautschy 1998; Alibert et al. 1999) and nonlinear (Carson & Stothers 1988; Moskalik, Buchler, & Marom 1992) envelope models, several empirical evidence such as the change of luminosity and velocity amplitudes across the instability strip (Sandage & Tammann 1971; Pel 1978; Cogan 1980; Fernie 1990) or the constant amplitude ratio in different photometric bands (Freedman 1988; Tanvir 1997) have not been enlightened by theoretical insights yet. In this paper we supply a comprehensive analysis of pulsation predictions to stimulate further investigations by others working in this field and to discuss the comparison between these theoretical predictions and observational data available in the current literature.

In section 2 we discuss the instability boundaries, we compare them with previous results and discuss the dependence of the boundaries on the adopted chemical composition as well as on the assumptions about the mass-luminosity (ML) relation. In Section 3 we supply suitable analytical relations for fundamental and first overtone pulsators connecting the period to stellar masses, luminosities and effective temperatures. Luminosity, radius, gravity, temperature, and radial velocity amplitudes for fundamental pulsators are discussed in section 4, while first overtone pulsation amplitudes are outlined in section 5. In these two sections we also compare theoretical observables with both photometric and spectroscopic measurements available in the literature. Finally, the main findings of this investigation are summarized in §6, together with some hints on future developments of the present theoretical framework.

Appendix A gives input parameters and theoretical observables for all the computed pulsation models, while Appendix B presents their predicted light and velocity curves together with a brief discussion on the variation of the morphology across the instability strip.

## 2 Modal instability and periods

Limiting amplitude, nonlinear, convective models represent a necessary and sufficient condition to assess the modal stability and, in turn, to evaluate the edges of the instability strip for each given stellar structure. In the case of Cepheid variables, one is dealing with intermediate-mass stars which cross the instability region at different luminosities which depend on stellar mass and on chemical composition. The pulsational investigation thus requires suitable assumptions about the ML relation for constraining the predicted luminosity of the model for each given value of the stellar mass. For this purpose we adopted evolutionary predictions presented by Castellani, Chieffi & Straniero (1992, hereinafter CCS92), which were computed for suitable ranges of stellar masses and chemical compositions and under the canonical assumption of no convective core overshooting. Figure 1 shows the comparison between the ML relation adopted in our computations and the relations adopted in linear investigations by Chiosi et al. (1993, hereinafter CWC93) and by Alibert et al. (1999, hereinafter ABHA99). Data plotted in the top panel for Z=0.02 show that the quoted evolutionary models are in excellent agreement. As we will discuss later on, a maximum difference of the order of $`\mathrm{\Delta }logL0.1`$ has indeed negligible effects on the derived pulsational scenario. The same figure in the bottom panel shows the dependence of the ML relation on the adopted chemical composition. Note that our models assume Y=0.28 for Z=0.02 and $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$Y/$`\mathrm{\Delta }`$Z=2.5 for other metallicities, in close similarity with the assumptions made by the quoted authors. In particular, CWC93 adopted Y=0.25, Z=0.004; Y=0.25, Z=0.008; and Y=0.30, Z=0.016, while ABHA99 adopted Y=0.25, Z=0.004; Y=0.25, Z=0.01; and Y=0.28, Z=0.02. Once again we find a rather satisfactory agreement between the different predictions, with a slight enhanced dependence of ABHA99 relations, to be possibly ascribed to different input physics adopted in ABHA99 evolutionary models. However, data plotted in Figure 1 clearly show that we are facing a rather well-established evolutionary scenario.

On the basis of the adopted ML relation we explored the pulsation stability of models at 5, 7, 9, and 11 M with the effective temperature $`T_e`$ as a free parameter to be moved by steps of 100 degrees across the HR diagram. With this procedure the location of the instability boundaries was evaluated with an accuracy of $`\pm `$50 K. The input physics used for constructing both linear and nonlinear envelope models was already described in paper I and in paper II as well as in Bono et al. (1998). Here we only mention that we adopted OPAL opacities (Iglesias & Rogers 1996) for temperatures greater than $`10^4`$ K, and Alexander & Ferguson (1994) molecular opacities for lower temperatures. In addition an independent set of models was computed for the same values of stellar masses but by increasing the predicted luminosities by $`\mathrm{\Delta }logL/L_{}=0.25`$. According to CWC93, this luminosity shift allows us to explore an evolutionary scenario which accounts for a mild convective core overshooting and therefore to investigate the effects of the mass/luminosity ratio on the pulsation instability. Input parameters and theoretical results for all models characterized by a stable nonlinear limit cycle in the fundamental and/or in the first overtone are presented in Appendix A, Tables 1-4.

Results concerning the fundamental edges of the instability strip are shown in Figure 2 for the two assumed ML relations and the three different stellar metallicities. Data in this figure give the plain evidence that the instability edges depend mainly on luminosity. Noncanonical models -i.e. pulsation models constructed by adopting a ML relation based on mild overshooting evolutionary models- suggest that the red edges at the highest luminosities present a sudden shift toward hotter effective temperatures, with a sharp decrease in the width of the instability strip. We find that both canonical and noncanonical boundaries can be described over a quite large luminosity range by analytical relations of the type $`logT_e=\alpha +\beta \times logL/L_{}`$. The analytic fits for the red edges were derived by neglecting the noncanonical point at $`M=11M_{}`$, while the blue edge relation for Z=0.004 was derived by neglecting the canonical point at $`M=5M_{}`$. Coefficients and errors of both blue and red edge relations for the three different chemical compositions are given in Table 5.

Moreover, data displayed in Figure 2 strongly support the empirical evidence originally pointed out by Pel & Lub (1978) and by Fernie (1990) that Galactic Cepheids present a ”wedge-shaped” and not a ”rectangular-shaped” instability strip. A similar behavior for Magellanic Cepheids was originally brought out by Martin, Warren, & Feast (1979) and more recently by Caldwell & Laney (1991). This suggests that the narrowing at the lower luminosities is an intrinsic feature of the fundamental instability strip which does not depend on metallicity. Figure 2 shows the additional evidence that at each given luminosity an increase in the metal content shifts the instability strip toward cooler effective temperatures. The dependence of PL, PC, and PLC relations on this effect was thoroughly described in paper II and therefore it is not discussed further.

Figure 3 shows the comparison between our fundamental edges and similar predictions obtained by CWC93 and by ABHA99 from linear, nonadiabatic, convective models. We find that at the lowest metallicity our predicted blue boundaries are located between the two linear ones, with a slope which appears in good agreement with both CWC93 and ABHA99 results. However, linear red edges appear much steeper than is predicted by nonlinear models. Such a discrepancy is not surprising, since the linear approach does not account for the coupling between pulsation and convection, and therefore can hardly predict the modal stability of models located close to the cool edge. To cope with such a difficulty, linear red edge estimates by CWC93 and by ABHA99 were not fixed at the effective temperature where the fundamental growth rate attains vanishing values but, more or less tentatively, at the effective temperature where the growth rate attains its maximum value (Chiosi et al. 1992; ABHA99). Present nonlinear results suggest that such an assumption is far from being adequate, a conclusion further supported by the evidence that ABHA99 predictions fail to reproduce the already discussed empirical evidence for a ”wedge-shaped” instability strip. The difference in the blue edges provided by CWC93 and ABHA99 also suggests that linear predictions depend on the numerical and physical assumptions adopted for constructing pulsation models.

Moreover, one may notice that an increase in the metal content causes a flattening in the slope of the nonlinear blue boundary, at variance with the predicted linear behavior. Such an occurrence is probably connected with the evidence that a metallicity increase shifts the blue edge toward cooler effective temperatures. As a consequence, metal-rich models show a stronger dependence on the nonlinear effects introduced by the coupling between pulsation and convection than metal-poor ones. The reader interested in a detailed discussion on the dependence of modal stability and pulsation properties on these effects is referred to paper I.

Figure 4 shows the location in the HR diagram of first overtone unstable models we found for the three selected chemical compositions in the lower portion of the explored luminosity range. In this region for the two lower metallicities we derived the following linear analytical relations for first overtone blue boundaries:

$$\mathrm{log}T_{e}^{}{}_{}{}^{B}(Z=0.004)=0.047(\pm 0.005)\mathrm{log}L+3.954(\pm 0.002)\sigma =0.002$$

$$\mathrm{log}T_{e}^{}{}_{}{}^{B}(Z=0.008)=0.067(\pm 0.004)\mathrm{log}L+4.011(\pm 0.001)\sigma =0.001$$

where $`L`$ is the luminosity (solar units), $`T_e`$ is the effective temperature (K), and $`\sigma `$ is the standard deviation.

## 3 Pulsation relations

During the last few years several authors (CWC93; Simon & Young 1997; Saio & Gautschy 1998) have used linear, nonadiabatic models to derive pulsational relation connecting periods to stellar masses and luminosities. In paper I (see Fig. 53) we already compared theoretical periods based on both linear and nonlinear models. We found that nonlinear periods of high-mass Cepheids are from 1% to 10% shorter than the linear ones when moving from the blue to the red edge of the instability strip. This difference can introduce an uncertainty of the order of 0.08 mag in the comparison between theoretical and empirical PL relations. This finding supports the relevance of precise pulsation relations.

Fortunately enough, we find that at each given chemical composition the present nonlinear values of canonical and noncanonical fundamental periods follow with very good accuracy a linear relation connecting $`logP`$ to the logarithms of the pulsator mass, luminosity, and effective temperature. The coefficients and the errors of these analytical relations are given in Table 6. Figure 5 shows how accurately these relations fit the periods of the computed models. It is now possible to estimate the effects of uncertainties in the adopted ML relation. Going back to Figure 1 we find that at fixed luminosity -the physical parameter governing the instability boundaries- current canonical ML relations predict quite similar mass values. In fact, the difference at $`logL/L_{}=3.5`$ between CCS92 and CWC93 is $`\delta logM\pm 0.01`$, while between CCS92 and ABHA99 is $`\delta logM\pm 0.02`$. This difference causes a period uncertainty of 2% and 4% respectively and, in turn, of only few hundreds of magnitude on the distances obtained by adopting the theoretical PL relation. On the other hand, the mass difference between canonical and noncanonical ML relations is of the order of $`\delta logM\pm 0.07`$ which implies a 14% period uncertainty and, in turn, an uncertainty of about 0.15 mag on the distance modulus. However, this uncertainty affects absolute but not relative distance determinations due to the systematic difference between the two different evolutionary frameworks over the whole period range.

Data in Figure 5 shows that for each given effective temperature an increase in metallicity, in spite of the decrease in luminosity, causes a small increase in the pulsation period of the order of 0.03 dex when moving from Z=0.004 to Z=0.02. However, an increase in metallicity has the major effect of shifting the instability strip toward lower effective temperatures and therefore longer periods. As already discussed in Paper II, such a shift plays a key role in governing the dependence of the PL relation on metallicity. This shift in temperature also provides a plain explanation of the empirical evidence originally pointed out by Gascoigne (1969, 1974) and more recently by Sasselov et al. (1997) that Cepheids in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are, for a given period, bluer than Cepheids in the LMC. Alternatively, we predict that at fixed luminosity the period distribution of SMC Cepheids should be shifted toward shorter periods when compared with LMC Cepheids. The cumulative period distributions of Cepheids in LMC and in SMC recently derived by the EROS project suggest a similar trend (Marquette 1998), but we still lack a detailed comparison between the period distribution of both LMC and SMC Cepheids at fixed magnitude bins.

In the explored range of luminosities we found a relatively small number of first overtone pulsators. This mode is indeed unstable only in low-mass ($`57M_{}`$) and therefore low-luminosity models. Owing to the mild dependence of first overtone periods on metallicity we derived a single pulsational relation which does not account for the metallicity dependence:

$`logP=10.763(\pm 0.002)+0.672(\pm 0.002)logL3.305(\pm 0.039)\mathrm{log}T_e\sigma =0.002`$

where symbols have their usual meaning.

## 4 Pulsational amplitudes: fundamental pulsators

### 4.1 Luminosity

Dating back to the seminal investigation by Sandage & Tammann (1971, hereinafter ST71), the luminosity amplitude has been recognized as a key parameter for assessing the pulsation properties of classical Cepheids. If amplitudes, as suggested by the quoted authors (see also Sandage 1972), depend on the distance from the edges of the instability strip, this parameter could be used to properly locate a Cepheid within the strip, and in turn to use a Period-Luminosity-Amplitude relation for estimating distances. However, empirical evidence concerning the behavior of the luminosity amplitude inside the strip, the so-called ”amplitude mapping”, turned out to be quite controversial. On the basis of Cepheid samples in four different galaxies, ST71 suggested that in the period range from $`logP0.40`$ to $`0.86`$ and for $`logP>1.3`$ the largest luminosity amplitudes are attained close to the blue edge, while the trend is reversed for Cepheids with periods ranging from $`logP=0.86`$ to $`logP=1.3`$. A similar conclusion for Galactic Cepheids was reached by Cogan (1980), who suggested to move the cut-off period from $`logP=1.3`$ to 1.1.

On the other hand, Madore (1976) suggested, on the basis of empirical relations provided by Fernie (1970), that classical Cepheids attain the largest amplitudes close to the red edge, whereas Butler (1976,1978) found an opposite trend among MC Cepheids. More recently Fernie (1990) investigated a large sample of Galactic Cepheids suggesting that for a given period the largest amplitudes are possibly attained close to the center of the instability strip, even though they are not tightly correlated with the position in the strip.

Figure 6 shows bolometric amplitudes of both canonical and noncanonical models as a function of period for the various given masses and for the three selected metallicities. In this figure each sequence of models depicts the predicted amplitudes across the instability strip. A glance at the data plotted in Figure 6 discloses that for the three explored metallicities the pulsators in the short-period range (i.e. with lower masses and luminosities) attain their maximum amplitude at the blue edge, whereas toward longer periods the amplitudes present a ”bell-shaped” distribution.

Such a behavior is similar to the trend found in fundamental RR Lyrae pulsators (Bono et al. 1997, hereinafter BCCM97): at the luminosities where the fundamental blue boundary falls in a region where the first overtone is already unstable, the amplitude of fundamental pulsators steadly decreases from the blue to the red edge, whereas at the luminosities in which only the fundamental pulsators attain a stable nonlinear limit cycle the pulsation amplitudes show a ”bell-shaped” variation from the hot to the cool edge of the instability strip. However, we notice that in the large majority of cases the maximum amplitude is attained only few hundred degrees from the blue boundary, and then the amplitude steadly decreases from the blue to the red over a large portion of the strip. Therefore theoretical results appear in reasonable agreement with the empirical evidence brought out by ST71 and by Cogan (1980).

Another feature disclosed by data plotted in Figure 6 is that an increase in the metal content generally causes a decrease in the maximum amplitudes. This trend supplies a sound support to the empirical evidence originally suggested by Arp & Kraft (1961) and then confirmed by van Genderen (1978) on the basis of a large sample of short-period Galactic and Magellanic Cepheids. The only exceptions to this rule are the 7 $`M_{}`$ (canonical) for Z=0.02 and the 9 $`M_{}`$ (noncanonical) models for Z=0.008 which show a larger bolometric amplitude when compared with more metal-poor models of the same mass value. This peculiarity could be due to a nonlinear behavior of the thermal properties of the outermost layers caused by the shock propagation close to the phases of maximum amplitude (see paper I). In fact, as we will discuss later on, the radial velocity amplitudes of these models do not show this peculiar behavior.

The sequence of canonical models at 7 $`M_{}`$ presents a ”double-peaked” distribution with two maxima located close to the blue and to the red edge. Interestingly enough, these models attain the minimum amplitude at $`logP1.03`$, in remarkable agreement with the minimum at $`logP=1.05\pm 0.03`$ in the empirical distribution of Fourier parameters $`\varphi _{21}`$ and $`R_{21}`$ found in LMC Cepheids by MACHO (Welch et al. 1997) and EROS projects (Beaulieu & Sasselov 1997). The physical mechanism(s) which govern the appearance of such a phenomenon and the dependence on chemical composition will be discussed in a forthcoming paper (Bono et al. 1999b). Finally we note that the period-amplitude variation of this sequence supports the local minimum in B amplitudes found in this period range by van Genderen (1978) for LMC Cepheids. This finding is very encouraging since the Bailey diagram (luminosity amplitude vs. period) does not depend on distance modulus and on color-temperature relation, and presents a negligible dependence on bolometric correction scale and on reddening.

Figure 7 shows the comparison in the Bailey diagram between pulsation amplitudes in the V band of Galactic Cepheids collected by Fernie et al. (1995) and theoretical predictions for Z=0.008 and Z=0.02. The choice of metallicities follows the results of a recent spectroscopic investigation by Fry & Carney (1997), which supports the evidence that Galactic calibrating Cepheids cover this metallicity range. Bolometric amplitudes were transformed into V amplitudes by adopting the bolometric corrections provided by Castelli, Gratton, & Kurucz (1997a,b). We assumed $`M_{bol}()=4.62`$. Theoretical V amplitudes show the same variation of bolometric amplitudes across the instability strip and are in satisfactory agreement with empirical values both at short and at long-periods. The only exception are the models at $`M=7M_{}`$, Z=0.02 and $`M=9M_{}`$, Z=0.008 whose V amplitudes are 20-25% higher than the observed ones. However, it is noteworthy that the luminosity amplitudes predicted by nonlinear radiative models are at least a factor of two larger than those predicted by convective ones (see Figure 1 in Bono & Marconi 1998).

The period-amplitude behavior of Galactic Cepheids was extensively investigated by van Genderen (1974) who found that the envelope line of B amplitudes attains a constant value for $`0.5logP1.0`$ and then a rapid increase up to $`logP=1.15`$. Toward longer periods the envelope line attains once again a constant value up to $`logP=1.5`$ and then a steady decrease (see data plotted in his Figure 1). This empirical evidence was subsequently confirmed by Laney & Stobie (1993) by adopting infrared J, H, and K amplitudes for 51 Galactic Cepheids. Theoretical predictions plotted in Figures 6 and 7 seem to support this behavior, but to confirm this evidence further models at solar chemical composition in the period range $`0.7logP1.0`$ are needed.

### 4.2 Amplitude ratio

The agreement between theory and observations on the behavior of the luminosity amplitude inside the instability strip suggested to test the empirical assumption that the amplitude ratio between the I (Cousins) and the V (Jonhson) bands is equal to 0.6 mag (Tanvir 1997). This assumption is generally adopted (Freedman 1988) for deriving the I-band light curve on the basis of the shape of the V-band light curve and thus for reducing the number of individual measurements necessary for estimating the mean I magnitude. Amplitude ratios in different photometric bands are also interesting because as demonstrated by Coulson & Caldwell (1989) they can be adopted for discovering companions to Cepheids (see also Laney & Stobie 1993).

Figure 8 shows the predicted $`A_I/A_V`$ ratio as a function of the pulsation period for canonical, fundamental pulsators at the three adopted metallicities. Luminosity amplitudes in the I band were estimated by adopting the color-temperature relations provided by Castelli et al. (1997a,b). Data plotted in this figure show that the mean $`A_I/A_V`$ ratio ranges from $`0.64\pm 0.03`$ at Z=0.004 and Z=0.008 to $`0.65\pm 0.02`$ at Z=0.02. This result suggests that, within the intrinsic dispersions, the $`A_I/A_V`$ ratio is in average constant and slightly higher than the empirical value currently adopted. However, this finding mainly depends on stellar atmosphere models, and indeed some numerical experiments performed by artificially enhancing both the surface gravity and the effective temperature variations along the pulsation cycle caused an increase in the $`A_I/A_V`$ ratio smaller than 10%.

### 4.3 Radial velocity

Even though radial velocity amplitudes are available only for a limited number of Galactic Cepheids, this observable can supply useful information on the dynamical behavior across the instability strip. Data listed in Tables 2 and 4 show that the behavior of radial velocity curves are largely correlated to the already discussed light curves. The main difference is found in $`5M_{}`$ canonical models at Z=0.004 and Z=0.008, which show very large $`\mathrm{\Delta }u`$ values when compared with more massive models. Since the bolometric amplitudes do not present this behavior, it turns out that in these models the bolometric amplitude over a full pulsation cycle is governed by temperature variations more than by radius variations.

The top panel of Figure 9 shows the comparison between empirical pulsational velocity amplitudes for Galactic Cepheids provided by Bersier et al. (1994), Bersier & Burki (1996) and by Bersier (1999, private communication) and theoretical predictions for Z=0.02 and Z=0.008. The bottom panel of Figure 9 shows a similar comparison but with empirical data collected by Cogan (1980). In the Cogan sample we identified Cepheid variables by means of a cross-identification with the database on Galactic Cepheids provided by Fernie et al. (1995) and among them we selected the objects presenting accurate velocity amplitudes. Pulsational velocities plotted in Figure 9 were derived from the empirical radial velocity amplitudes by adopting a projection factor of 1.36, as suggested by Bersier & Burki (1996). However, we notice that in the literature quite different values were suggested, with the additional evidence that the projection factor could change when moving from short to long-period Cepheids (Gieren et al. 1989) as well as along the pulsation cycle (Sabbey et al. 1995). We adopted this value since its effect is marginal when compared to observational errors affecting non homogeneous spectroscopic measurements plotted in the bottom panel. In fact, we estimated that the difference in the velocity amplitude among objects included both in the Bersier et al. and in the Cogan samples ranges from few percent to more than 20%.

Figure 9 shows that theoretical predictions appear in reasonable agreement with observations over the whole period range. In particular, one may notice that toward longer periods -$`logP=1.5÷1.6`$\- the velocity amplitudes decrease to approximately 50 km/sec, in agreement with theoretical predictions. However, from $`logP=1.1`$ to $`logP=1.5`$ our computations predict pulsators with smaller velocity amplitudes that are marginally supported by current empirical estimates. We can hardly assess whether this discrepancy is due to a selection effect or because theoretical amplitudes are too small close to the instability boundaries. Even by accounting for the quoted spread in metallicity the discrepancy between theory and observations is still present. In fact, models at Z=0.008 predict both high and small velocity amplitudes in the period range $`logP=1.1÷1.5`$.

However, on a very general ground, data plotted in Figure 9 show that limiting amplitude models which include a proper treatment of the pulsation/convection interaction seem to solve the long-standing discrepancy between theoretical and observed velocity amplitudes. In fact, velocity amplitudes across the instability strip predicted by nonlinear radiative models are systematically larger than the observed ones (Carson & Stothers 1988; Moskalik et al. 1992).

### 4.4 Radius, gravity and temperature

Empirical estimates of radius, gravity and temperature amplitudes are unfortunately rather scanty. In the following we will refer to the last comprehensive investigations on this subject provided by Pel (1978, 1980) and based on a large set of photometric data in the Walraven system. We find that theoretical fractional radius variations -$`\mathrm{\Delta }R/R_{ph}`$\- for Z=0.02 and Z=0.008 and for periods shorter than 11 d show -in agreement with empirical data- a decrease when moving from the blue to the red edge. However, predicted values appear somehow smaller than the observed ones, since the observed $`\mathrm{\Delta }R/R_{ph}`$ values range from more than 20% close to the blue edge to 5% at the red edge, whereas theoretical predictions range from 10-15% close to the blue edge to 5% at the red edge. The origin of such a discrepancy cannot be firmly established since we lack an estimate of the observational uncertainties as well as data for long-period Cepheids. Moreover, Pel’s results relyed on old atmosphere models (Kurucz 1975) which could considerably affect estimation of these parameters.

Theoretical and observed effective gravity amplitudes -$`\mathrm{\Delta }g_e`$\- appear in reasonable qualitative agreement. The bulk of the empirical estimates by Pel (1978) for bright Cepheids with $`P<11`$ d is around $`\mathrm{\Delta }g_e`$ 0.4, and range roughly from 0.22 to 0.9. The theoretical ones attain similar values and range from 0.3 to 0.8. Obviously, spectroscopic investigations can supply tighter constraints on the accuracy of theoretical predictions.

The agreement we found for gravity amplitudes applies also to fractional temperature variations. Empirical estimates by Pel (1978) range approximately from $`\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{\Theta }_e`$=0.06 to 0.22, while the theoretical ones from $`\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{\Theta }_e`$=0.07 to 0.18, where $`\mathrm{\Theta }_e`$ = $`5040/T_e`$. This qualitative agreement is further supported by recent spectroscopic investigations on the temperature amplitudes in a small sample of Galactic Cepheids collected by Bersier, Burki, & Kurucz (1997). Since the thermal behavior along the pulsation cycle strongly depends on the coupling between pulsation and convection, such qualitative agreement in the short-period range supports, within current observational uncertainties, the treatment adopted to account for the convective transport.

## 5 Pulsational amplitudes: first overtone pulsators

In Figure 10 from top to bottom are shown bolometric and radial velocity amplitudes, fractional radius and temperature variations for first overtone pulsators. Data plotted in this figure show that in canonical models an increase in the metal content causes a decrease in the pulsation amplitudes (see also paper I). Unfortunately, the small number of unstable first overtone pulsators does not allow us to find out a clear trend concerning the change of the pulsation amplitudes from the blue to the red edge of the instability strip. Canonical, metal-poor models at $`5M_{}`$ show a linear decrease in the bolometric amplitude and in the fractional temperature variation, while amplitudes of more metal-rich and noncanonical models present across the instability strip the characteristic ”bell-shaped” variation we already found for first overtone RR Lyrae models (BCCM97).

In order to supply a useful theoretical framework for first overtone identification among field stars, the light and velocity curves of all first overtone models are presented in appendix A. Data plotted in Figures 10-21 show that the shape of both light and velocity curves of first overtone models are almost sinusoidal and resemble the empirical light curves for s-Cepheids recently observed by the EROS project in the bar of the LMC (Beaulieu et al. 1995). However, it is worth noting that the shape of the light curve of canonical models at $`M=5M_{}`$ and Z=0.004 are not sinusoidal, and indeed the rising branch is steeper than the decreasing branch. Moreover both canonical and noncanonical models located in the middle of the instability strip and with period ranging from P=1.934 d to P=3.811 d also show a well defined bump just before the luminosity maximum. This feature is also present in models at Z=0.008 with periods ranging from P=2.076 d to P=3.816 d.

Empirical light curve Fourier parameters $`\varphi _{21}`$ of s-Cepheids show a sudden jump close to P=3.2 d when plotted as a function of the pulsation period. This abrupt change was explained as a $`2:1`$ resonance between the first and the fourth overtone (Antonello & Poretti 1986; Petersen 1989). Current radiative hydrodynamical models fail to reproduce this empirical behavior, and in particular the appearance around the quoted period of the bump along the light curve (Kienzle et al. 1999, and references therein). A detailed analysis of this phenomenon is beyond the scope of this investigation. However, the evidence that the bump along the light curve of first overtone pulsators is located in the right period range suggests that nonlinear, convective models can shed new light on this long-standing problem.

CORAVEL radial velocity amplitudes for Galactic first overtone pulsators have been recently collected by Bersier et al. (1994) and by Kienzle et al. (1999, and references therein). Theoretical predictions appear once again in reasonable agreement with empirical data, since close to $`logP=0.35`$ both data sets attain values of the order of 20-25 km/sec. The same agreement is found for fractional temperature variations, and indeed both empirical and theoretical observables for Galactic Cepheids (Bersier et al. 1997) with period shorter than $`logP=0.5`$ range approximately from $`\mathrm{\Delta }T_e/T_e`$=0.05 to 0.09. However, we do not put forward the comparison between theory and observations since first overtone models need to be extended to lower stellar masses before firm conclusions on the behavior of this mode within the instability strip can be reached.

## 6 Summary and conclusions

In this paper we presented the large set of pulsational properties predicted by our classical Cepheid, limiting amplitude, nonlinear, convective models constructed by adopting three different assumptions on chemical composition. We first discussed the location of the instability strip in the H-R digram, and showed that the instability edges predicted by nonlinear models are substantially different from the linear ones. This difference is mainly caused by the nonlinear effects of the coupling between pulsation and convection which is not included in linear, nonadiabatic, convective models. For each given metallicity we find that both blue and red boundaries of fundamental pulsators appear fairly independent of the adopted ML relation, and indeed they can be approximated over a quite large luminosity range by an analytical relation between $`logL`$ and $`logT_e`$.

The occurrence of first overtone pulsators in the lower mass range is also discussed and the linear analytical relations for the blue boundaries of metal-poor structures -Z=0.004, Z=0.008- are provided as well. We also found that predicted fundamental periods, at fixed chemical composition, can be nicely fitted by an analytical relation connecting the logarithmic period to $`logM`$, $`logL`$ and $`logT_e`$ independently of the assumption about the ML relation. These findings supply straightforward theoretical support to the use of Cepheid PL relation for estimating distances, since the topology of the instability strip presents, at fixed chemical composition, a negligible dependence on the ML relation. A similar conclusion, though based on empirical evidence, was reached by Tanvir (1997, and references therein).

Theoretical predictions concerning luminosity, radius, velocity, gravity, and temperature amplitudes are discussed in connection with observational data available in the current literature. As a whole, we found a rather satisfactory agreement, within the present large observational uncertainties, between theory and observations. The exhaustive discussion on theoretical observables presented in this investigation was mainly aimed at stimulating further detailed comparison with spectroscopic and photometric data which can supply tight constraints on the adequacy and consistency of the input physics adopted for constructing nonlinear pulsation models.

We also mention that Cepheids for which estimates of both stellar mass and effective temperature (or color) are available, such as Cepheids in stellar clusters (Bono & Marconi 1997) or in binary systems (Böhm-Vitense et al. 1998, and references therein), can supply useful suggestions on the accuracy of predicted periods, and in turn on the ML relation which governs these objects. In fact, together with Cepheids in LMC and SMC stellar clusters which are a fundamental laboratory for studying their evolutionary and pulsational properties, current empirical estimates suggest that the incidence of binaries among field Cepheids ranges from 30% (Evans 1992) to more than 50% (Szabados & Pont 1998).

We conclude that the nonlinear theoretical framework appears to be the only approach which can supply a reliable description of the pulsation behavior in radial pulsators. Moreover, it turns out that limiting amplitude calculations are a fundamental requirement for estimating on a firm basis both the modal stability and the intrinsic properties to be compared with observed variable stars (see also Ya’ari & Tuchman 1999).

We are particularly grateful to D. Bersier for sending us Cepheid radial velocity data in electronic form and for new data in advance of publication as well as for a detailed reading of an early draft of this paper. We are also grateful to D. Alves, F. Caputo, D. Laney and N. Panagia for many insightful discussions on Cepheid properties. In addition, we acknowledge an anonymous referee for some useful remarks that served to improve the paper. This work was supported, in part, by the Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica -Cofinanziamento 98- under the project ”Stellar Evolution”. Partial support by Agenzia Spaziale Italiana is also acknowledged.

## Appendix A Predicted observables

In order to provide a useful theoretical framework which accounts for the systematic properties of Cepheids to be compared with actual properties of observed variables, Tables 1-4 summarize the observables of all limiting amplitude, nonlinear, convective models we computed.

Tables 1 and 2 list both input parameters and pulsational amplitudes for first overtone and fundamental pulsators constructed by adopting a ML relation based on evolutionary models which neglect the convective core overshooting. In particular, columns 1, 2, and 3 report the stellar mass (solar units), the logarithmic luminosity (solar units), and the static effective temperature (K) adopted for each model. From left to right the other quantities listed in these tables are: 4) nonlinear period (d); 5) mean radius (solar units); 6) fractional radius oscillation i.e. $`\mathrm{\Delta }R/R_{ph}=(R^{max}R^{min})/R_{ph}`$ where $`R_{ph}`$ is the photospheric radius; 7) radial velocity amplitude (km $`s^1`$) i.e. $`\mathrm{\Delta }u=u^{max}u^{min}`$; 8) bolometric amplitude (mag.) i.e. $`\mathrm{\Delta }M_{bol}=M_{bol}^{max}M_{bol}^{min}`$; 9) logarithmic amplitude of static gravity i.e. $`\mathrm{\Delta }logg_s=logg_s^{max}logg_s^{min}`$; 10) logarithmic amplitude of effective gravity i.e. $`\mathrm{\Delta }logg_{eff}=logg_{eff}^{max}logg_{eff}^{min}`$ where $`g_{eff}=GM/R^2+du/dt`$; 11) temperature amplitude (K) i.e. $`\mathrm{\Delta }T=T^{max}T^{min}`$ where $`T`$ is the temperature of the outer boundary; 12) effective temperature amplitude (K) i.e. $`\mathrm{\Delta }T_e=T_e^{max}T_e^{min}`$ where $`T_e`$ is derived from the surface luminosity. With the exception of the effective gravity, the quantities reported in column 4 to 11 are referred to the surface zone. The mean effective gravity of the outermost layers was estimated by adopting the procedure suggested by Bono, Caputo & Stellingwerf (1994). The temperature amplitudes listed in column 10 and 11 have been rounded to the nearest 50 K. At fixed stellar mass, luminosity level and chemical composition the temperature of the blue (red) edges can be estimated by increasing (decreasing) the effective temperature of the hottest (coolest) unstable model by 50 K.

Tables 3 and 4 report the same quantities of Tables 1 and 2 but refer to envelope models constructed by adopting a ML relation typical of evolutionary models which account for a mild convective core overshooting (see paper I for details).

## Appendix B Light and velocity curves

The morphology of both light and velocity curves play a key role for assessing Cepheid pulsation modes and also for constraining the pulsation behavior of these variables across the instability strip. Figures 11-34 show the light (left panel) and velocity (right panel) variations throughout two consecutive cycles. Solid and dashed lines refer to fundamental and first overtone pulsators respectively. Figures 11-22 show the Cepheid sequences constructed by adopting a canonical ML relation, while figures 23-34 the sequences based on a noncanonical one. However, figures 11-14 as well as 23-26 ($`M/M_{}`$=5,7,9,11; Y=0.25; Z=0.004) are published in the printed edition, while figures 15-18 and 27-30 ($`M/M_{}`$=5,7,9,11; Y=0.25; Z=0.008), together with figures 19-22 and 31-34 ($`M/M_{}`$=5,7,9,11; Y=0.28; Z=0.02) are only available in the on-line edition.

The first extensive nonlinear investigations on the shape of theoretical light and velocity curves of Cepheids date back to Christy (1966, 1975 and references therein), Stobie (1969) and more recently to Carson & Stothers (1988) and Moskalik et al. (1992). Light and velocity curves presented in Figures 11-34, when compared with similar predictions available in the literature, do not show spurious features such as spikes and/or ripples throughout the pulsation cycle (see also paper I). In this context it is worth mentioning that Christy (1975) on the basis of leading physical arguments, suggested that the main Cepheid features can be correlated to the Christy parameter $`P/(R/R_{})`$. Even though Christy’s predictions were based on nonlinear, radiative, small amplitude models, current convective models support his findings concerning the systematics of Cepheid properties. In fact we found, in agreement with Christy, that the transition from first overtone to fundamental pulsators takes place close to $`P/(R/R_{})0.1`$ Moreover, our models show that the appearance of the bump along the decreasing branch takes place close to $`P/(R/R_{})0.12`$ and falls at earlier pulsation phases when moving toward longer period Cepheids. Christy predicted a similar behavior but for slightly larger $`P/(R/R_{})`$ values.

Unfortunately our models do not reach very long periods ($`P>130`$ d) and therefore we cannot assess on firm basis whether Cepheids in this region of the instability strip are characterized by an irregular behavior and by very large amplitudes. Finally, we mention that our models do not present RV Tauri characteristics, i.e. alternations of deep and shallow minima in both light and velocity curves in the period range $`2540`$ d, as suggested by Moskalik & Buchler (1991) and by Moskalik et al. (1992). Since these calculations were performed by adopting similar ML relations, we suspect that this difference is caused by different assumptions on the energy transport mechanism (radiative versus convective).