NUMAKURA o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-01-02 published
SENBA "
Semba,"
Masayoshi
Passed away peacefully at the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax,
Nova Scotia, on December 30, 2006 at the age of 59. Born in Sendai,
Japan on October 24, 1947, Masayoshi was the first
son of Masataka
and Kazuko
SENBA.
Growing up in Tokyo, Masa showed keen interests
in physical sciences from early on, setting up his first laboratory
in a closet when he was 11. Convinced that physics held the key
to truth, Masa studied at the Tokyo University of Education,
where he met Kazue (née
NUMAKURA) who was playing in the same
university orchestra. They were married in 1972. The couple moved
two years later to the U.S.A. to study at Rutgers University
and Masa obtained a Ph.D. in physics in 1980. In 1981 he moved
to Vancouver, British Columbia to conduct experimental and theoretical
research in solid state, atomic and nuclear physics and physical
chemistry at TRIUMF. Masa moved to Halifax in 1996 to join
his wife and later became a Professor Research in the Department
of Physics and Atmospheric Science at Dalhousie University. Masa
made original contributions to several fields of physics. In
particular he provided a precise theoretical frame work, called
the time-ordered stochastic method, to investigate spin and charge
exchange phenomena involving hydrogen-like species, with the
goal to understand various experimentally observable quantities
in terms of fundamental physical quantities inherent in the process
in question, such as quantum mechanical spin flip rates and atomic
collision cross sections. His theoretical method has been applied
successfully to a wide variety of experimental situations in
solid state physics, physical chemistry, and atomic physics.
He lectured regularly at the Russian Academy of Sciences Winter
School of Physics in St. Petersburg, Russia since 1998, and gave
a series of seminars at the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in
Oxford, United Kingdom in 2002. Masa also taught physics at Dalhousie
University, where he was known to push his students hard while
taking great care to ensure thorough understanding, always earning
their respect and appreciation. In 2002 he received from the
Dalhousie Undergraduate Physics Society the first Langstroth
Memorial Award, which recognizes an instructor of physics who
shows the greatest love of teaching and the strongest desire
to assist students in all matters. In addition, Masa's interests
in philosophy (including Kant) led him to teach Einstein's theories
to students at the University of King's College in Halifax. As
a self-taught viola (and violin) player, Masa found great joy
in playing in orchestras, including the Vancouver Philharmonic
Orchestra and Dalhousie Music Department Orchestra. He also cherished
playing string quartets and other chamber music, most recently
as a member of the Mostly Telemann Ensemble since 1996 and the
Edward Street Quartet since 1997 in Halifax. Deeply fond of the
German language, Masa studied it steadily throughout his life,
reading original writings of great composers including Brahms.
He and his wife took great pleasure in following the steps of
these composers in Austria, Germany and other countries in Europe.
Masa was predeceased by his father Masataka
SENBA.
Masa is lovingly
remembered by his wife
Kazue
SEMBA in Halifax and his mother
Kazuko SENBA, brothers Tamio and Hideo and other family members
in Tokyo. According to Masa's wish, there will be no funeral,
but a get-together to remember him will be scheduled at a later
time in Halifax. The family would like to thank the staff of
the QEII Halifax Health Sciences Centre, particularly the
Palliative Care Unit, and Victorian Order of Nurses nurses for
their care, concern and kind support for Masa and the family
during his illness.
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