Motion of spinning test bodies in Kerr spacetime

Abstract

We investigate the motion of spinning test bodies in General Relativity. By means of a multipolar approximation method for extended test bodies we derive the equations of motion and classify the orbital motion of pole-dipole test bodies in the equatorial plane of the Kerr geometry. An exact expression for the periastron shift of a spinning test body is given. Implications of test body spin corrections are studied and compared with the results obtained by means of other approximation schemes.