Constituent Model of Extremal non-BPS Black Holes

Abstract

We interpret extremal non-BPS black holes in four dimensions as threshold bound states of four 1/2-BPS constituents. We verify the no-force condition for each of the primitive constituents in the probe approximation. Our computations are for a seed solution with $\bar{D0}-D4$ charges and equal $B$-fields, but symmetries extend the result to any U-dual frame. We make the constituent model for the $D0-D6$ system explicit, and also discuss a duality frame where the constituents are $D3$ branes at angles. We demonstrate stability of the constituent model in the weak coupling description of the constituent D-branes. We discuss the relation between the BPS and non-BPS branches of configuration space.