Giant gravitons in non-supersymmetric backgrounds

Abstract

We consider giant gravitons as probes of a class of ten-dimensional solutions of type IIB supergravity which arise as lifts of solutions of U(1)^3 gauged N=2 supergravity in five-dimensions. Surprisingly it is possible to solve exactly for minimum energy configurations of these spherical D3-brane probes in the compact directions, even in backgrounds which preserve no supersymmetry. The branes behave as massive charged particles in the five non-compact dimensions. As an example we probe geometries which are believed to represent the supergravity background of coherent states of giant gravitons. We comment on the apparently repulsive nature of the naked singularities in these geometries.