  We investigate the intrinsic continuum linear polarization from axisymmetric
density distributions of gas surrounding classical Be stars during the
formation and dissipation of their circumstellar disks. We implement a Monte
Carlo calculation of the Stokes parameters with the use of the non-LTE
radiative transfer code of Sigut & Jones (2007) to reproduce the continuous
polarimetric spectra of classical Be stars. The scattering of light in the
nonspherical circumstellar envelopes of classical Be stars produces a distinct
polarization signature that can be used to study the physical nature of the
scattering environment. In this paper, we highlight the utility of polarimetric
measurements as important diagnostics in the modeling of these systems. We
illustrate the effects of using self-consistent calculation of the thermal
structure of the circumstellar gas on the characteristic wavelength-dependence
of the polarization spectrum. In showing that the principal features of the
polarization spectrum originate from different parts of the disk, we emphasize
the capability of polarimetric observations to trace the evolution of the disk
on critical scales. We produce models that approximate the disk formation and
dissipation periods and illustrate how the polarimetric properties of these
systems can have a pivotal role in determining the mechanism for mass decretion
from the central star.
