Photometry of the Cataclysmic Variable V533 Herculis (Nova 1963)

We present CCD time series photometry of the cataclysmic variable V533 Herculis (Nova Her 1963). Observations were obtained in 1995 July with the 32-in telescope at Stull Observatory, in 1995 Aug with the 24-in telescope at Keele University, and in 2002 May-June with the 40-in telescope at Mt. Laguna Observatory. The Stull Observatory data were taken in unfiltered light with 16.5 s time sampling; the Keele data in the V band with 13.5 s sampling; and most of the MLO data were taken in the U band with 7.6 s sampling. With this moderate-speed photometry we searched for the enigmatic 63.6 s pulsations previously detected in V533 Her. These strong, coherent pulsations were clearly present in 1978 and 1980, but were absent in 1983 and have remained absent thereafter. Pulsations of this type are, in general, indicative of a strong magnetic field on the white dwarf and would suggest V533 Her is a member of the DQ Herculis class of stars. While the light curves show prominent flickering indicating ongoing accretion activity, the power spectra show no evidence of an oscillation near 63 s.