Spectral statistics in elastodynamics

The fundamentals of acoustic modal statistics are investigated with a view toward applications in understanding fluctuation phenomena in room acoustics, statistical energy analysis, and diffuse field ultrasonics. It is conjectured that the spectral fluctuations of a linearly elastic body, like those of large nuclei, will fall into the universality class described by the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble of random matrices. This conjecture is strongly confirmed by a laboratory study of the higher eigenfrequencies of small aluminum blocks. Level repulsions and spectral rigidities are observed to conform to the predictions of random matrix theory.