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Abstract

Numerous applications of Mossbauer spectroscopy are related to a unique resolution of absorption spectra of resonant radiation in crystals, when the nucleus absorbs a photon without a recoil. However, the narrow nuclear linewidth renders efficient driving of the nuclei challenging, restricting precision spectroscopy, nuclear inelastic scattering and nuclear quantum optics. Moreover, the need for dedicated x-ray optics restricts access to only few isotopes, impeding precision spectroscopy of a wider class of systems. Here, we put forward a novel Mossbauer source, which offers resonant photon flux for a large variety of Mossbauer isotopes with strongly suppressed electronic background. It is based on relativistic electrons moving through a crystal and emitting parametric Mossbauer radiation essentially unattenuated by electronic absorption. As a result, a collimated beam of resonant photons is formed, without the need for additional monochromatization. We envision the extension of high-precision Mossbauer spectroscopy to a wide range of isotopes at accelerator facilities, also using dumped electron beams.