Spectroscopic and photometric variability of O and Wolf-Rayet stars

Low-level line profile variability in the optical domain is a ubiquitous feature of O, Of and Wolf-Rayet type stars. This variability can arise from pulsations, from magnetic fields or wind structures (both small and large scales). For main-sequence O-type stars, the spectra display many absorption lines that provide stringent diagnostics of photospheric features. However, as the stars evolve off the main-sequence towards the Of and Wolf-Rayet stage, the stellar wind densities (and hence the wind optical depths) increase dramatically. The wind eventually dominates the formation of the entire spectrum rendering the investigation of photospheric structures more ambiguous. We discuss the observational analyses of the spectroscopic and photometric variability of massive stars of spectral type O, Of and WR. In particular, we highlight the search for a connection between the photospheric and the wind variability.