  The X-ray binary pulsar Her X-1 shows a wide variety of long and short term
variabilities in the X-ray light curve. The 35 d variability of the source is
interpreted as the influence of a warped, inclined, and twisted accretion disk
periodically covering the line of sight to the central neutron star. In 1997
September we observed the ``turn-on'' of a 35 d cycle with the Rossi X-ray
Timing Explorer (RXTE). Spectral analysis reveals that during early phases of
the turn-on the overall spectrum is composed of X-rays scattered into the line
of sight plus heavily absorbed X-rays. This interpretation is consistent with
the variation of the pulse profile observed at the same time. The overall shape
of the pulse profile is not changing, but towards earlier phases of the turn-on
the pulse signature is steadily ``washed out''. This behavior can be understood
as an influence of scattering and absorption due to the presence of the
accretion disk rim. Using a Monte Carlo code we simulate the influence of both
processes on a time variable, beamed emission characteristic, similar to the
pulse profile of Her X-1. By comparing the results of the simulation with the
observed profiles we determine the amount of scattered radiation, absorbed
radiation, and the size of the scattering region.
