We develop a definitive physical-space scattering theory for the scalar wave equation on Kerr exterior backgrounds in the general subextremal case |a|<M. In particular, we prove results corresponding to "existence and uniqueness of scattering states" and "asymptotic completeness" and we show moreover that the resulting "scattering matrix" mapping radiation fields on the past horizon and past null infinity to radiation fields on the future horizon and future null infinity is a bounded operator. The latter allows us to give a time-domain theory of superradiant reflection. The boundedness of the scattering matrix shows in particular that the maximal amplification of solutions associated to ingoing finite-energy wave packets on past null infinity is bounded. On the frequency side, this corresponds to the novel statement that the suitably normalised reflection and transmission coefficients are uniformly bounded independently of the frequency parameters. We further complement this with a demonstration that superradiant reflection indeed amplifies the energy radiated to future null infinity of suitable wave-packets as above. The results make essential use of a refinement of our recent proof [M. Dafermos, I. Rodnianski and Y. Shlapentokh-Rothman, Decay for solutions of the wave equation on Kerr exterior spacetimes III: the full subextremal case |a|<M, arXiv:1402.6034] of boundedness and decay for solutions of the Cauchy problem so as to apply in the class of solutions where only a degenerate energy is assumed finite. We show in contrast that the analogous scattering maps cannot be defined for the class of finite non-degenerate energy solutions. This is due to the fact that the celebrated horizon red-shift effect acts as a blue-shift instability when solving the wave equation backwards.
These lecture notes, based on a course given at the Zurich Clay Summer School (June 23-July 18, 2008), review our current mathematical understanding of the global behaviour of waves on black hole exterior backgrounds. Interest in this problem stems from its relationship to the non-linear stability of the black hole spacetimes themselves as solutions to the Einstein equations, one of the central open problems of general relativity. After an introductory discussion of the Schwarzschild geometry and the black hole concept, the classical theorem of Kay and Wald on the boundedness of scalar waves on the exterior region of Schwarzschild is reviewed. The original proof is presented, followed by a new more robust proof of a stronger boundedness statement. The problem of decay of scalar waves on Schwarzschild is then addressed, and a theorem proving quantitative decay is stated and its proof sketched. This decay statement is carefully contrasted with the type of statements derived heuristically in the physics literature for the asymptotic tails of individual spherical harmonics. Following this, our recent proof of the boundedness of solutions to the wave equation on axisymmetric stationary backgrounds (including slowly-rotating Kerr and Kerr-Newman) is reviewed and a new decay result for slowly-rotating Kerr spacetimes is stated and proved. This last result was announced at the summer school and appears in print here for the first time. A discussion of the analogue of these problems for spacetimes with a positive cosmological constant follows. Finally, a general framework is given for capturing the red-shift effect for non-extremal black holes. This unifies and extends some of the analysis of the previous sections. The notes end with a collection of open problems. We provide a rigorous definition of quasi-normal modes for a rotating black hole. They are given by the poles of a certain meromorphic family of operators and agree with the heuristic definition in the physics literature. If the black hole rotates slowly enough, we show that these poles form a discrete subset of ( C ) . As an application we prove that the local energy of linear waves in that background decays exponentially once orthogonality to the zero resonance is imposed. We show asymptotic completeness for a class of superradiant Klein-Gordon equations. Our results are applied to the Klein-Gordon equation on the De Sitter Kerr metric with small angular momentum of the black hole. For this equation we obtain asymptotic completeness for fixed angular momentum of the field.