Ultraviolet observations of classical Cepheids by OAO-2

OAO-2 observations of eight bright classical Cepheids in the wavelength region 1910 A to 4250 A are presented. The data for RT Aurigae, alpha Ursa Minoris, delta Cephei, and gamma Ophiuchi show excellent agreement with ground based photometry in the wavelength region of overlap and are consistent with a simple extrapolation of light curve properties from the visible region. However, in the ultraviolet, the light curve of beta Doradus shows two small flux bumps, at phases of 0.75 and 0.85, in addition to the well known bump at phase 0.0. All three bumps should probably be associated with the arrival of shocks at the stellar surface.