On-shell physics of black holes

Abstract

On-shell scattering amplitudes have proven to be useful tools for tackling the two-body problem in general relativity. This thesis outlines how to compute relevant classical observables that are themselves on-shell, directly from amplitudes; examples considered are the momentum impulse, total radiated momentum, and angular impulse for spinning particles. As applications we derive results relevant for black hole physics, computing in the post-Minkowskian expansion of GR, and construct a worldsheet effective action for the leading spin interactions of Kerr black holes.