  There is a fairly tight correlation between the pulsation periods and
effective temperatures of ZZ Ceti stars (cooler stars have longer periods).
This seems to fit the theoretical picture, where driving occurs in the partial
ionization zone, which lies deeper and deeper within the star as it cools. It
is reasonable to assume that the pulsation periods should be related to the
thermal timescale in the region where driving occurs. As that region sinks
further down below the surface, that thermal timescale increases. Assuming this
connection, the pulsation periods could provide an additional way to determine
effective temperatures, independent of spectroscopy. We explore this idea and
find that in practice, things are not so simple.
