Cyclotron line formation in the accretion column of an x-ray pulsar

We propose a new line-formation mechanism which might operate in the strong magnetic field near the surface of an X-ray pulsar. The strong polarization dependence of the photon propagation in the accreted plasma has an important effect on the spectrum of the pulsar. Cyclotron lines can appear in emission because scattering from one polarization mode into the other increases the depth from which photons can escape