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Abstract

Using the recently established formalism of a worldline quantum field theory
(WQFT) description of the classical scattering of two spinless black holes, we
compute the far-field time-domain waveform of the gravitational waves produced
in the encounter at leading order in the post-Minkowskian (weak field, but
generic velocity) expansion. We reproduce previous results of Kovacs and Thorne
in a highly economic way. Then using the waveform we extract the leading-order
total radiated angular momentum, reproducing a recent result of Damour. Our
work may enable crucial improvements of gravitational-wave predictions in the
regime of large relative velocities.