Dogan Akpinar

Postdoctoral Research Fellow · University of Plymouth

Dogan Akpinar

A theoretical physicist exploring the crossroads of high-energy physics and gravity, using scattering amplitudes and effective field theory to understand compact binaries, spinning black holes, and gravitational-wave observables.

INSPIRE arXiv ORCID Email
Portrait of Dogan Akpinar

Research

Gravity from Scattering Amplitudes

My research uses modern particle-physics techniques, especially scattering amplitudes and effective field theory, to derive precise classical gravitational observables for compact binary systems.

I am particularly interested in how spin and finite-size effects modify black-hole scattering and compact-binary dynamics across different mass-ratio regimes, as well as the hidden symmetries and integrable structures of Kerr black holes. In addition, I am also interested in how scattering amplitudes can describe gravitational phenomena, including Hawking radiation.

6 papers · 5 journal publications · 115 citations · h-index 5, as of 13 July 2026

Publications

Full List on INSPIRE

Over the course of my career I have had the privilege to work with some amazing people on several interesting topics. Below is a summary of my publications.

Collaboration network: black is me, grey nodes are coauthors, blue is a preprint, and red nodes are journal articles. Click on a node to open the corresponding profile or publication page.

  1. Black Hole Thermodynamics Meets On-Shell Amplitudes: Local Detailed Balance and Thermal Spectrum from Spin Universality and Unitarity

    Dogan Akpinar, Katsuki Aoki, Andrea Cristofoli, Hyun Jeong, and Kaho Yoshimura

    arXiv:2606.13599 · 2026

    arXiv INSPIRE

  2. Scattering Gravitons off General Spinning Compact Objects to O(G2S4)

    Dogan Akpinar

    Phys. Rev. D 113, 045003 · 2026 · Editor's Suggestion

    arXiv INSPIRE DOI

  3. Unexpected Symmetries of Kerr Black Hole Scattering

    Dogan Akpinar, Graham R. Brown, Riccardo Gonzo, and Mao Zeng

    Phys. Rev. D 113, L101501 · 2026

    arXiv INSPIRE DOI

  4. Spinning Self-Force EFT: 1SF Waveform Recursion Relation and Compton Scattering

    Dogan Akpinar, Vittorio del Duca, and Riccardo Gonzo

    Phys. Rev. D 112, 084014 · 2025 · Editor's Suggestion

    arXiv INSPIRE DOI

  5. First Look at Quartic-in-Spin Binary Dynamics at Third Post-Minkowskian Order

    Dogan Akpinar, Fernando Febres Cordero, Manfred Kraus, Alexander Smirnov, and Mao Zeng

    Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 041602 · 2025

    arXiv INSPIRE DOI

  6. Spinning Black Hole Scattering at O(G3S2): Casimir Terms, Radial Action, and Hidden Symmetry

    Dogan Akpinar, Fernando Febres Cordero, Manfred Kraus, Michael S. Ruf, and Mao Zeng

    JHEP 03, 126 · 2025

    arXiv INSPIRE DOI

Talks, Seminars, and Presentations

The markers show places where I have presented work in conferences, workshops, seminars, and local meetings. Click on a marker for the talks associated with that location.

Kerr Black Hole Scattering: An On-Shell Approach to Conserved Quantities and Integrability

Conference, Amplitudes, Strong-Field Gravity, and Resummation, Nordita

Precision Kerr Black Hole Dynamics from Scattering Amplitudes

WQFT Seminar, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin

An On-Shell Approach to Symmetries and Integrability for Kerr Black Hole Scattering

HEP-TH Seminar, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin

An On-Shell Approach to Symmetries and Integrability for Kerr Black Hole Scattering

JGRG34, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto

Classical Spinning Black Hole Scattering from Quantum Amplitudes

RIKEN iTHEMS Seminar, RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences, Wako, Saitama

Precision Frontiers in Spinning Black Hole Scattering

Seminar, Florida State University, Tallahassee

Unexpected Symmetries of Kerr Black Hole Scattering

Seminar, University of California, Los Angeles

High Precision Kerr Black Hole Scattering

Conference, Loop-the-Loop-2: Feynman Calculus and Its Applications to Gravity and Particle Physics, Online

Spinning Black Hole Scattering and Asymptotic Integrability

Seminar, University of Tokyo, Tokyo

Effective Field Theory for Spinning Extreme Mass Ratios

Astrophysics Seminar, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto

Quartic-in-Spin Black Hole Scattering at 3PM

Amplitudes Lounge Seminar, University of Padova, Online

Quartic-in-Spin Black Hole Scattering at 3PM

Theory Seminar, Queen Mary University of London, London

Spinning Black Hole Scattering at O(G3) Using Fixed Spin Theories

General Relativity from AMPlitudes Alliance (GRAMPA) Seminar, Online

Spinning Black Hole Scattering at O(G3) Using Fixed Spin Theories

Amplitudes Meeting, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Curriculum

Download CV

Summary

I am Dogan Akpinar, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Plymouth. My research lies at the interface of scattering amplitudes, effective field theory, and classical general relativity, with the goal of deriving analytical descriptions of compact binary systems.

I obtained my PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics at the Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Edinburgh, supervised by Mao Zeng, with a thesis on An Amplitudes Approach to Spinning Black Hole Scattering. Before that, I studied Physics with Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London, where I graduated with First Class Honours.

Academic Appointments

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of Plymouth, UK

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Edinburgh, UK

Education

PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics, Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Edinburgh

Thesis: An Amplitudes Approach to Spinning Black Hole Scattering

Advisor: Mao Zeng

STFC PhD Research Studentship

MSci Physics with Theoretical Physics

Imperial College London, UK

Master's Thesis: Bosonic String Theory, Geometries, and T-duality

Supervisor: Prof. Daniel Waldram

First Class Honours

Teaching

Teaching Assistant

University of Edinburgh, UK

  • Linear Algebra and Several Variable Calculus Pre-Honours
  • Computer Simulation Pre-Honours
  • Lagrangian Dynamics Junior Honours
  • Electromagnetism and Relativity Junior Honours
  • General Relativity Senior Honours/Masters
  • Quantum Field Theory Senior Honours/Masters