State-selective high-energy excitation of nuclei by resonant positron annihilation

In the annihilation of a positron with a bound atomic electron, the virtual γ photon created may excite the atomic nucleus. We put forward this effect as a spectroscopic tool for an energy-selective excitation of nuclear transitions. This scheme can efficiently populate nuclear levels of arbitrary multipolarities in the MeV regime, including giant resonances and monopole transitions. In certain cases, it may have higher cross sections than the conventionally used Coulomb excitation and it can even occur with high probability when the latter is energetically forbidden.