Optical depths for gamma-rays in the radiation field of a star heated by
  external X-ray source in LMXBs: Application to Her X-1 and Sco X-1
  The surface of a low mass star inside a compact low mass X-ray binary system
(LMXB) can be heated by the external X-ray source which may appear due to the
accretion process onto a companion compact object (a neutron star or a black
hole). As a result, the surface temperature of the star can become
significantly higher than it is in the normal state resulting from
thermonuclear burning. We wonder whether high energy electrons and gamma-rays,
injected within the binary system, can efficiently interact with this enhanced
radiation field. To decide this, we calculate the optical depths for the
gamma-ray photons in the radiation field of such irradiated star as a function
of the phase of the binary system. Based on these calculations, we conclude
that compact low mass X-ray binary systems may also become sources of high
energy gamma-rays since conditions for interaction of electrons and gamma-rays
are quite similar to these ones observed within the high mass TeV gamma-ray
binaries such as LS 5039 and LSI 303 +61. However, due to differences in the
soft radiation field, the expected gamma-ray light curves can significantly
differ between low mass and high mass X-ray binaries. As an example, we apply
such calculations to two well known LMXBs: Her X-1 and Sco X-1. It is concluded
that electrons accelerated to high energies inside these binaries should find
enough soft photon target from the companion star for efficient gamma-ray
production.
