Pseudo-Hermitian anti-Hermitian ensemble of Gaussian matrices.

It is shown that the ensemble of pseudo-Hermitian Gaussian matrices recently introduced gives rise in a certain limit to an ensemble of anti-Hermitian matrices whose eigenvalues have properties directly related to those of the chiral ensemble of random matrices.

Pseudo-Hermitian ensemble of random Gaussian matrices.

It is shown how pseudo-Hermiticity, a necessary condition satisfied by operators of PT symmetric systems can be introduced in the three Gaussian classes of random matrix theory. The model describes transitions from real eigenvalues to a situation in which, apart from a residual number, the eigenvalues are complex conjugate.

Structure of trajectories of complex-matrix eigenvalues in the Hermitian-non-Hermitian transition.

The statistical properties of trajectories of eigenvalues of Gaussian complex matrices whose Hermitian condition is progressively broken are investigated. It is shown how the ordering on the real axis of the real eigenvalues is reflected in the structure of the trajectories and also in the final distribution of the eigenvalues in the complex plane.

Hyperbolic disordered ensembles of random matrices.

Using the recently introduced simple procedure of dividing Gaussian matrices by a positive random variable, a family of random matrices is generated characterized by a behavior ruled by the generalized hyperbolic distribution. The spectral density evolves from the semicircle law to a Gaussian-like behavior while concomitantly, the local fluctuations show a transition from the Wigner-Dyson to the Poisson statistics. Long range statistics such as number variance exhibit large fluctuations typical of nonergodic ensembles.

Finite element studies of the mechanical behaviour of the diaphragm in normal and pathological cases.

The diaphragm is a muscular membrane separating the abdominal and thoracic cavities, and its motion is directly linked to respiration. In this study, using data from a 59-year-old female cadaver obtained from the Visible Human Project, the diaphragm is reconstructed and, from the corresponding solid object, a shell finite element mesh is generated and used in several analyses performed with the ABAQUS 6.7 software. These analyses consider the direction of the muscle fibres and the incompressibility of the tissue. The constitutive model for the isotropic strain energy as well as the passive and active strain energy stored in the fibres is adapted from Humphrey's model for cardiac muscles. Furthermore, numerical results for the diaphragmatic floor under pressure and active contraction in normal and pathological cases are presented.

Deformations of the Tracy-Widom distribution.

In random matrix theory, the Tracy-Widom (TW) distribution describes the behavior of the largest eigenvalue. We consider here two models in which TW undergoes transformations. In the first one disorder is introduced in the Gaussian ensembles by superimposing an external source of randomness. A competition between TW and a normal (Gaussian) distribution results, depending on the spreading of the disorder. The second model consists of removing at random a fraction of (correlated) eigenvalues of a random matrix. The usual formalism of Fredholm determinants extends naturally. A continuous transition from TW to the Weilbull distribution, characteristic of extreme values of an uncorrelated sequence, is obtained.

Missing levels in acoustic resonators.

It is shown that the deviations of the experimental statistics of six chaotic acoustic resonators from Wigner-Dyson random matrix theory predictions are explained by a recent model of random missing levels. In these resonatorsa made of aluminum plates a the larger deviations occur in the spectral rigidity (SRs) while the nearest-neighbor distributions (NNDs) are still close to the Wigner surmise. Good fits to the experimental NNDs and SRs are obtained by adjusting only one parameter, which is the fraction of remaining levels of the complete spectra. For two Sinai stadiums, one Sinai stadium without planar symmetry, two triangles, and a sixth of the three-leaf clover shapes, was found that 7%, 4%, 7%, and 2%, respectively, of eigenfrequencies were not detected.

Disordered ensembles of random matrices.

It is shown that the families of generalized matrix ensembles recently considered which give rise to an orthogonal invariant stable Lévy ensemble can be generated by the simple procedure of dividing Gaussian matrices by a random variable. The nonergodicity of this kind of disordered ensembles is investigated. It is shown that the same procedure applied to random graphs gives rise to a family that interpolates between the Erdös-Renyi and the scale free models.

Finite element studies of the deformation of the pelvic floor.

This article describes research involving finite element simulations of women's pelvic floor, undertaken in the engineering schools of Lisbon and Oporto, in collaboration with the medical school of Oporto. These studies are motivated by the pelvic floor dysfunctions that lead namely to urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. This research ultimately aims at: (i) contributing to clarify the primary mechanism behind such disorders; (ii) providing tools to simulate the pelvic floor function and the effects of its dysfunctions; (iii) contributing to planning and performing surgeries in a more controlled and reliable way. The finite element meshes of the levator ani are based on a publicly available geometric data set, and use triangular thin shell or special brick elements. Muscle and soft tissues are assumed as (quasi-)incompressible hyperelastic materials. Skeletal muscles are transversely isotropic with a single fiber direction, embedded in an isotropic matrix. The fibers considered in this work may be purely passive, or active with input of neuronal excitation and consideration of the muscle activation process. The first assumption may be adequate to simulate passive deformations of the pelvic muscles and tissues (namely, under the extreme loading conditions of childbirth). The latter may be adequate to model faster contractions that occur in time intervals of the same order as those of muscle activation and deactivation (as in preventing urinary incontinence in coughing or sneezing). Numerical simulations are presented for the active deformation of the levator ani muscle under constant pressure and neural excitation, and for the deformation induced by a vaginal childbirth.

Symmetry-breaking study with deformed ensembles.

A random matrix model to describe the coupling of m -fold symmetry is constructed. The particular threefold case is used to analyze data on eigenfrequencies of elastomechanical vibration of an anisotropic quartz block. It is suggested that such an experimental and theoretical study may supply a powerful means to discern the intrinsic symmetry of physical systems.

Randomly incomplete spectra and intermediate statistics.

By randomly removing a fraction of levels from a given spectrum a model is constructed that describes a crossover from this spectrum to a Poisson spectrum. The formalism is applied to the transitions towards Poisson from random matrix theory (RMT) spectra and picket fence spectra. It is shown that the Fredholm determinant formalism of RMT extends naturally to describe incomplete RMT spectra.

Level density for deformations of the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble.

Formulas are derived for the average level density of deformed, or transition, Gaussian orthogonal random matrix ensembles. After some general considerations about Gaussian ensembles, we derive formulas for the average level density for (i) the transition from the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE) to the Poisson ensemble and (ii) the transition from the GOE to m GOEs.

Universality of rescaled curvature distributions.

We applied a recently proposed rescaling of curvatures of eigenvalues of parameter-dependent random matrices to experimental data from acoustic systems and to a theoretical result. It is found that the data from four different experiments, ranging from isotropic plates to anisotropic three-dimensional objects, and the theoretical result always agree with the universal curvature distribution, if only the curvatures are rescaled such that the average of their absolute values is unity.

Family of generalized random matrix ensembles.

Using the generalized maximum entropy principle based on the nonextensive q entropy, a family of random matrix ensembles is generated. This family unifies previous extensions of random matrix theory (RMT) and gives rise to an orthogonal invariant stable Lévy ensemble with new statistical properties. Some of them are analytically derived.

Effect of symmetry breaking on level curvature distributions.

We derive an exact general formalism that expresses the eigenvector and the eigenvalue dynamics as a set of coupled equations of motion in terms of the matrix elements dynamics. Combined with an appropriate model Hamiltonian, these equations are used to investigate the effect of the presence of a discrete symmetry in the level curvature distribution. An explanation of the unexpected behavior of the data regarding frequencies of acoustic vibrations of quartz block is provided.