Title:
Wave Scattering and the Gravitational Compton Amplitude in WQFT

Abstract:
The gravitational Compton amplitude is an ideal observable for analyzing quadratic-in-curvature couplings of generic (Kerr) black holes in worldline effective field theory (WEFT). The general structure of such couplings for Kerr black holes is a major research topic and is, as yet, unknown. The Compton amplitude describes gravitational waves scattering off a single black hole and is in this sense a one-body observable. This fact makes it ideal for analyzing the WEFT description of black holes without the complication of involving two (or more) black holes. Although there is only one black hole, this process still has a non-trivial loop expansion with several similarities to the two-body impulse problem. Naturally, this computational challenge is perfectly suited for the worldline quantum field theory (WQFT) framework. In this talk, I will discuss recent work on this topic with Fabian, Mathias and Kays that we are currently writing up focusing on the generic and conceptual setup of wave scattering in WQFT as well.