  We describe recent numerical simulations of the merger of a class of equal
mass, non-spinning, eccentric binary black hole systems in general relativity.
We show that with appropriate fine-tuning of the initial conditions to a region
of parameter space we denote the threshold of immediate merger, the binary
enters a phase of close interaction in a near-circular orbit, stays there for
an amount of time proportional to logarithmic distance from the threshold in
parameter space, then either separates or merges to form a single Kerr black
hole. To gain a better understanding of this phenomena we study an analogous
problem in the evolution of equatorial geodesics about a central Kerr black
hole. A similar threshold of capture exists for appropriate classes of initial
conditions, and tuning to threshold the geodesics approach one of the unstable
circular geodesics of the Kerr spacetime. Remarkably, with a natural mapping of
the parameters of the geodesic to that of the equal mass system, the scaling
exponent describing the whirl phase of each system turns out to be quite
similar. Armed with this lone piece of evidence that an approximate
correspondence might exist between near-threshold evolution of geodesics and
generic binary mergers, we illustrate how this information can be used to
estimate the cross section and energy emitted in the ultra relativistic black
hole scattering problem. This could eventually be of use in providing estimates
for the related problem of parton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider in
extra dimension scenarios where black holes are produced.
