Probing black holes with equivariant localization

Abstract

We introduce equivariant localization as a method for computing the action of probe branes in supergravity backgrounds. We apply it to supersymmetric probe D3-branes in type IIB supersymmetric spacetimes obtained by uplifting the Kerr-Newman-AdS${}_5$ black hole on a toric Sasaki-Einstein space. Depending on the cycles they wrap, such branes represent non-perturbative corrections to or defect operator insertions in the superconformal index of a large family of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ quiver superconformal field theories. The resulting action reduces to equivariant integrals and can be evaluated entirely from toric data.

7 pages