We numerically study the level statistics of the Gaussian $beta$ ensemble. These statistics generalize Wigner-Dyson level statistics from the discrete set of Dyson indices $beta = 1,2,4$ to the continuous range $0 < beta < infty$. The Gaussian $beta$ ensemble covers Poissonian level statistics for $beta to 0$, and provides a smooth interpolation between Poissonian and Wigner-Dyson level statistics. We establish the physical relevance of the level statistics of the Gaussian $beta$ ensemble by showing near-perfect agreement with the level statistics of a paradigmatic model in studies on many-body localization over the entire crossover range from the thermal to the many-body localized phase. In addition, we show similar agreement for a related Hamiltonian with broken time-reversal symmetry.
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