Variability and possible rapid evolution of the hot post-AGB stars Hen 3-1347, Hen 3-1428, and LSS 4634

We present the results of spectroscopic and photometric observations for three hot southern-hemisphere post-AGB objects, Hen 3-1347 = IRAS 17074-1845, Hen 3-1428 = IRAS 17311-4924, and LSS 4634 = IRAS 18023-3409. In the spectrograms taken with the 1.9-m telescope of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in 2012, we have measured the equivalent widths of the most prominent spectral lines. Comparison of the new data with those published previously points to a change in the spectra of Hen 3-1428 and LSS 4634 in the last 20 years. Based on ASAS data, we have detected rapid photometric variability in all three stars with an amplitude up to 0·m3-0·m4 in the V band. A similarity between the patterns of variability for the sample stars and other hot protoplanetary nebulae is pointed out. We present the results of UBV observations for Hen 3-1347, according to which the star undergoes rapid irregular brightness variations with maximum amplitudes ΔV = 0·m25, ΔB = 0·m25, and ΔU = 0·m30 and shows color-magnitude correlations. Based on archival data, we have traced the photometric history of the stars over more than 100 years. Hen 3-1347 and LSS 4634 have exhibited a significant fading on a long time scale. The revealed brightness and spectrum variations in the stars, along with evidence for their enhanced mass, may be indicative of their rapid post-AGB evolution. © 2014 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.