Discovery of magnetic fields in three He variable Bp stars with He and Si spots

stars: magnetic fields It is essential for the understanding of stellar structure models of high mass stars to explain why constant stars, non-pulsating chemically peculiar hot Bp stars and pulsating stars co-exist in the slowly pulsating B stars and β Cephei instability strips. We have conducted a search for magnetic fields in the four Bp stars HD 55522, HD 105382, HD 131120, and HD 138769 which previously have been wrongly identified as slowly pulsating B stars. A recent study of these stars using the Doppler Imaging technique revealed that the elements He and Si are inhomogeneously distributed on the stellar surface, causing the periodic variability. Using FORS 1 in spectropolarimetric mode at the VLT, we have acquired circular polarisation spectra to test the presence of a magnetic field in these stars. A variable magnetic field is clearly detected in HD 55522 and HD 105382, but no evidence for the existence of a magnetic field was found in HD 131120. The presence of a magnetic field in HD 138769 is suggested by one measurement at 3 σ level. We discuss the occurence of magnetic B stars among the confirmed pulsating B stars and find strong magnetic fields of order kG and oscillations to be mutually exclusive.