Investigation of the rapid magnetic field variability in gamma Equ

We investigated magnetic variability of the roAp star gamma Equ (HD 201601) with high time resolution. Measurements of the stellar longitudinal magnetic field B_e were performed with the hydrogen line polarimeter and the 6-m optical telescope of Special Astrophysical Observatory on 20/21 August 1989. We obtained a single 3-hour series of 1720 rapid B_e measurements for this star with the average time resolution of 6.6 sec. The averaged value of <B_e> on this night equals -750 \pm 22 G. Both the power spectrum and the amplitude spectrum of the B_e time series essentially are flat. However, they show the presence of a marginally significant magnetic period at P_B = 3.596 min. which is real with the probability 67 %. The amplitude of the magnetic field variations with this period equals 347 \pm 31 G. We did not detect variations of B_e field in gamma Equ with the well-known photometric period, P_phot=12.44 min.