Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 January 2006
We show that in rapidly oscillating Ap stars with resolvedmagnetically split lines, different pulsation behaviours can beexpected for the π and σ line components. We outline theprospects that this opens for diagnosis of the pulsation ofthese stars. We present a first application to the strongly magneticstar HD 166473. While the predicted effect could not be observed(possibly due to the low pulsation amplitude), marginal detection ofvariation of the mean magnetic field modulus with the pulsationfrequency is achieved.