Einstein spaces in five and seven dimensions and non-supersymmetric gauge theories

A one-parameter family of new solutions representing Einstein spaces in $d=5,7$ is presented, and used to construct non-supersymmetric backgrounds in type IIB and M-theory that asymptotically approach $AdS_5\times S^5$ and $AdS_7\times S^4$. Upon dimensional reduction, the latter gives a type IIA solution representing a 4-brane with Ramond-Ramond charge, which interpolates between the "near-horizon" non-extremal D4 brane and a geometry connected by T-duality to a new constant dilaton solution in type IIB. We discuss the possibility that M-theory on this space may be related to a (0,2) six-dimensional field theory on $S^1\times S^1$, with fermions obeying antiperiodic boundary conditions in both circles.