arXiv subjects

Carlo Heissenberg

Publications and source records attributed to Carlo Heissenberg.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

"Waveforms" at the Horizon

We study perturbations induced by a light particle scattering off a Schwarzschild black hole. Exploiting recent results for the wave propagation in this geometry, we derive the fields that this process induces on the horizon to leading order in the post-Minkowskian (PM) regime, when the light probe is far from the black hole. We then use these results to calculate the fluxes of energy and angular momentum that enter the black hole. We consider the effects due to gravitational, electromagnetic and scalar radiation, finding agreement with recent computations of the absorbed energy, while the absorbed angular momentum provides a new PM result.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Reconstructing the Gravitational Waveform from Its Probe Limit

Gravitational observables for binary systems exhibit a simple polynomial dependence on the masses $m_1$, $m_2$ of the two scattering objects when they are written in terms of the appropriate kinematic variables in the post-Minkowskian (PM) regime. We point out that this property, combined with particle interchange symmetry, allows one to reconstruct the leading and subleading PM waveforms from their probe limit, $m_1 \gg m_2$. As an application, focusing on their re-expansion in the small-velocity or post-Newtonian (PN) regime, we calculate the probe-limit waveforms up to 10PN, and then exploit this observation to deduce from them the waveforms for generic masses in the center-of-mass frame up to 5PN. To this end, we employ both the amplitude-based waveform integrands and the tail formula. This combined approach simplifies substantially the PN expansion of the full subleading PM waveform.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Finite actions and asymptotic charges at null infinity for any spin

We identify boundary terms renormalizing the free on-shell actions for massless fields of arbitrary spin, including electromagnetism and linearized gravity, with boundary conditions allowing for supertranslation-like asymptotic symmetries. Our focus is on null infinity, in any spacetime dimensions. We also comment on the renormalization of the corresponding asymptotic charges.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Nonlinear Gravitational Memory in the Post-Minkowskian Expansion

We present the first computation of the nonlinear gravitational memory waveform for the scattering of two compact objects in General Relativity at leading order in the post-Minkowskian expansion. We use the scattering-amplitudes-based representation of the gravitational waveform, which naturally expresses the nonlinear memory as the contribution of soft gravitons emitted by the gravitational waves themselves. We perform the calculation by applying a multipolar decomposition to the waveform and using the reverse unitarity method to obtain explicit exact-in-velocity predictions. We validate the results by calculating the corresponding velocity-expanded post-Newtonian multipoles, finding perfect agreement. Our results complete the knowledge of the gauge-invariant non-analytic-in-frequency part of the $\mathcal{O}(G^3)$ multipolar waveform, thus providing a useful benchmark for future calculations of this quantity.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Radiation-Reaction and Angular Momentum Loss at $\mathcal{O}(G^4)$

We point out that the odd-in-velocity contribution to the $\mathcal{O}(G^4)$ radiated angular momentum for two-body scattering is determined by the radiation-reaction (RR) term in the one-loop waveform. This RR term is actually proportional to the tree-level waveform, and this reduces the calculation of the odd-in-velocity contribution to the $\mathcal{O}(G^4)$ angular momentum loss, $J_\text{2rad}$, to two loops, instead of three loops as one would expect by power counting. We exploit this simplification, which follows from unitarity, to obtain a closed-form expression for $J_\text{2rad}$ for generic velocities, which resums all fractional post-Newtonian (PN) corrections to the $\mathcal{O}(G^4)$ angular momentum loss starting at 1.5PN.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Logarithmic soft theorems and soft spectra

Using universal predictions provided by classical soft theorems, we revisit the energy emission spectrum for gravitational scatterings of compact objects in the low-frequency expansion. We calculate this observable beyond the zero-frequency limit, retaining an exact dependence on the kinematics of the massive objects. This allows us to study independently the ultrarelativistic or massless limit, where we find agreement with the literature, and the small-deflection or post-Minkowskian (PM) limit, where we provide explicit results up to $\mathcal{O}(G^5)$. These confirm that the high-velocity limit of a given PM order is smoothly connected to the corresponding massless result whenever the latter is analytic in the Newton constant $G$. We also provide explicit expressions for the waveforms to order $\omega^{-1}$, $\log\omega$, $\omega(\log\omega)^2$ in the soft limit, $\omega\to0$, expanded up to sub-subleading PM order, as well as a conjecture for the logarithmic soft terms of the type $\omega^{n-1}(\log\omega)^{n}$ with $n\ge 3$.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Revisiting gravitational angular momentum and mass dipole losses in the eikonal framework

We review the description of classical gravitational scatterings of two compact objects by means of the eikonal framework. This encodes via scattering amplitudes both the motion of the bodies and the gravitational-wave signals that such systems produce. As an application, we combine the next-to-leading post-Minkowskian (PM) waveform derived in the post-Newtonian (PN) limit with the 4PM static loss due to the linear memory effect to reproduce known results for the total angular mometum loss in the center-of-mass frame up to $\mathcal O(G^4)$ and 2.5PN order. We also provide similar expressions for the change in the system's mass dipole, discussing the subtleties related to its sensitivity to the Coulombic components of the field and to the nonlinear memory effect.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Double-Copy Supertranslations

In the framework of the convolutional double copy, we investigate the asymptotic symmetries of the gravitational multiplet stemming from the residual symmetries of its single-copy constituents at null infinity. We show that the asymptotic symmetries of Maxwell fields in D=4 imply ``double-copy supertranslations", i.e. BMS supertranslations and two-form asymptotic symmetries, together with the existence of infinitely many conserved charges involving the double-copy scalar. With the vector fields in Lorenz gauge, the double-copy parameters display a radial expansion involving logarithmic subleading terms, essential for the corresponding charges to be nonvanishing.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Post-Newtonian Multipoles from the Next-to-Leading Post-Minkowskian Gravitational Waveform

We consider the frequency-domain LO and NLO post-Minkowskian (PM) waveforms obtained from the tree-level and one-loop amplitudes describing the scattering of two massive scalar objects and the emission of one graviton. We explicitly calculate their post-Newtonian (PN) limit obtaining an expansion up to the third subleading PN order in all ingredients: the tree-level amplitude, the odd and even parts of the real one-loop kernel, and the Compton or "rescattering" cuts, thus reaching 3PN precision for the latter. We provide explicit expressions for the multipole decomposition of these results in the center-of-mass frame and compare them with the results obtained from the classical Multipolar post-Minkowskian (MPM) method. We find perfect agreement between the two, once the BMS supertranslation frame is properly adjusted and the infrared divergences due to rescattering are suitably subtracted in dimensional regularization. This shows that the approach proposed in arXiv:2312.07452 can be applied beyond the soft-regime ensuring the agreement between amplitude-based and MPM results for generic frequencies.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Renormalization of spin-one asymptotic charges in AdS$_D$

We study the renormalized action and the renormalized presymplectic potential for Maxwell fields on Anti de Sitter backgrounds of any dimensions. We then use these results to explicitly derive finite boundary charges for angle-dependent asymptotic symmetries. We consider both Poincaré and Bondi coordinates, the former allowing us to control the systematics for arbitrary $D$, the latter being better suited for a smooth flat limit.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

An eikonal-inspired approach to the gravitational scattering waveform

We revisit the amplitude-based derivation of gravitational waveform for the scattering of two scalar black holes at subleading post-Minkowskian (PM) order. We take an eikonal-inspired approach to the two-massive-particle cut needed in the KMOC framework, as highlighted in arXiv:2308.02125, and show that its effect is to implement a simple change of frame. This clarifies one of the points raised in arXiv:2309.14925 when comparing with the post-Newtonian (PN) results. We then provide an explicit PM expression for the waveform in the soft limit, $ω\to0$, including the first non-universal, $ω\logω$, contribution. Focusing on this regime, we show that the small-velocity limit of our result agrees with the soft limit of the PN waveform of arXiv:2309.14925, provided that the two quantities are written in the same asymptotic frame. Performing the BMS supertranslation that, as discussed in arXiv:2201.11607, is responsible for the $\mathcal O(G)$ static contribution to the asymptotic field employed in the PN literature, we find agreement between the amplitude-based and the PN soft waveform up to and including $G^3/c^5$ order.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

Inelastic Exponentiation and Classical Gravitational Scattering at One Loop

We calculate the inelastic $2\to3$ one-loop amplitude for the scattering of two point-like, spinless objects with generic masses involving the additional emission of a single graviton. We focus on the near-forward, or classical, limit. Our results include the leading and subleading orders in the soft-region expansion, which captures all non-analytic contributions in the transferred momentum and in the graviton's frequency. This allows us to check the first constraint arising from the inelastic exponentiation put forward in Refs. 2107.12891, 2112.07556, 2210.12118 and to calculate the $2\to3$ one-loop matrix element of the $N$-operator, linked to the $S$-matrix by $S = e^{iN}$, showing that it is real, classical and free of infrared divergences. We discuss how our results feature in the calculation of the $\mathcal O(G^3)$ corrections to the asymptotic waveform.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

More on the Subleading Gravitational Waveform

In this short note, we address the calculation of the contribution to the one-loop gravitational waveform arising from the difference of the unitarity cuts associated to the $s$- and $s'$-channels recently pointed out in arXiv:2308.02125, providing its explicit expression for minimally-coupled massive scalars in momentum space.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

Leading-order gravitational radiation to all spin orders

Starting with on-shell amplitudes compatible with the scattering of Kerr black holes, we produce the gravitational waveform and memory effect including spin at their leading post-Minkowskian orders to all orders in the spins of both scattering objects. For the memory effect, we present results at next-to-leading order as well, finding a closed form for all spin orders when the spins are anti-aligned and equal in magnitude. Considering instead generically oriented spins, we produce the next-to-leading-order memory to sixth order in spin. Compton-amplitude contact terms up to sixth order in spin are included throughout our analysis.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

Angular Momentum Loss Due to Spin-Orbit Effects in the Post-Minkowskian Expansion

We calculate the spin-orbit corrections to the loss of angular momentum in a two-body scattering at third Post-Minkowskian order, $\mathcal O(G^3)$, from scattering amplitudes using the eikonal operator. These results include effects linear in spin, are valid for generic spin orientations and are presented in a manifestly Poincaré covariant way. We include both radiative losses, by means of the leading-order gravitational waveform, and static losses by means of the appropriate $-i0$ prescription in the leading soft graviton theorem, finding agreement with known results in the Post-Newtonian limit.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

Angular Momentum Loss Due to Tidal Effects in the Post-Minkowskian Expansion

We calculate the tidal corrections to the loss of angular momentum in a two-body collision at leading Post-Minkowskian order from an amplitude-based approach. The eikonal operator allows us to efficiently combine elastic and inelastic amplitudes, and captures both the contributions due to genuine gravitational-wave emissions and those due to the static gravitational field. We calculate the former by harnessing powerful collider-physics techniques such as reverse-unitarity, thereby reducing them to cut two-loop integrals, and validate the result with an independent calculation in the Post-Newtonian limit. For the latter, we can employ the results of arXiv:2203.11915 where static-field effects were calculated for generic gravitational scattering events using the leading soft graviton theorem.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

The gravitational eikonal: from particle, string and brane collisions to black-hole encounters

Motivated by conceptual problems in quantum theories of gravity, the gravitational eikonal approach, inspired by its electromagnetic predecessor, has been successfully applied to the transplanckian energy collisions of elementary particles and strings since the late eighties, and to string-brane collisions in the past decade. After the direct detection of gravitational waves from black-hole mergers, most of the attention has shifted towards adapting these methods to the physics of black-hole encounters. For such systems, the eikonal exponentiation provides an amplitude-based approach to calculate classical gravitational observables, thus complementing more traditional analytic methods such as the Post-Newtonian expansion, the worldline formalism, or the Effective-One-Body approach. In this review we summarize the main ideas and techniques behind the gravitational eikonal formalism. We discuss how it can be applied in various different physical setups involving particles, strings and branes and then we mainly concentrate on the most recent developments, focusing on massive scalars minimally coupled to gravity, for which we aim at being as self-contained and comprehensive as possible.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

$p$-Forms on the Celestial Sphere

We construct a basis of conformal primary wavefunctions (CPWs) for $p$-form fields in any dimension, calculating their scalar products and exhibiting the change of basis between conventional plane wave and CPW mode expansions. We also perform the analysis of the associated shadow transforms. For each family of $p$-form CPWs, we observe the existence of pure gauge wavefunctions of conformal dimension $Δ=p$, while shadow $p$-forms of this weight are only pure gauge in the critical spacetime dimension value $D=2p+2$. We then provide a systematic technique to obtain the large-$r$ asymptotic limit near $\mathscr I$ based on the method of regions, which naturally takes into account the presence of both ordinary and contact terms on the celestial sphere. In $D=4$, this allows us to reformulate in a conformal primary language the links between scalars and dual two-forms.

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