Hollow-cone accretion columns and light-bending effects

A set of new model calculations for pulse shapes from hollow cone-shaped accretion columns is carried out. The cones have a circular base on the neutron star centered on the magnetic poles and extend upward. Both straight cones and those that follow dipole field lines are considered. The difference is important only for tall cones. The emissivity dependence on the local angle normal to the emitting surface or to the magnetic field can be specified: here analytic formulae and tables to represent the Meszaros & Nagel emissivities were considered. The effects of gravitational light bending are included and have a major impact on the resulting beam patterns, as shown by comparison with patterns computed without light bending.