The pulsational nature of R Coronae Borealis: light and radial velocity variations during 1990 and 1991

We report photometry and radial velocities of the R Coronae Borealis (RCB) star R CrB, obtained during 1991. We compare these observations with published photometry obtained during 1990 and velocities obtained during 1990 and 1991, and analyse these data using Fourier techniques. In line with the conclusions of earlier analyses, the pulsational nature of R CrB is difficult to quantify, particularly on timescales of longer than a year. The 1990 data are possibly consistent with the presence of a 43-d radial pulsation mode. During 1991 there was some evidence for a periodicity near this value in the radial velocities, but not in the photometric data. Additional data are desirable to investigate the possible presence of one or more periodicities in the light and radial velocity curves.