Michael Steinitz, Professor of Physics
St. Francis Xavier University
P.O. Box 5000, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, B2G 2W5 Canada
Telephone: 902-867-3909 Fax: 902-867-2414
msteinit@stfx.ca
Michael is Emeritus Professor of Physics in the Physics Department at StFX, where he has
been since 1973. He does research in Solid
State Physics, in neutron scattering and magnetic structures of rare-earth
and transition metals, especially incommensurate and density-wave structures,
as well as dilatometry at cryogenic and very high temperatures. Together with
Jan Genossar of the Technion,
he developed the tilted-plate capacitance displacement
sensor, which allows angstrom resolution at temperatures exceeding 1000 C.
From 2006
to 2020 he was the editor-in-chief of the Canadian Journal of
Physics.
In 2005 he
was coordinator of Canadian efforts for the World Year of Physics 2005 (as
declared by the United Nations) for the Canadian
Association of Physicists (CAP). A highlight of this year in Canada
was the lecture tour by Clifford Will on "Was Einstein Right?"
together with performances by the Borealis String Quartet of a
string quartet commissioned for the World Year of Physics by the CAP. The
quartet was composed by Aaron
Hryciw, a student of Canadian composer, Malcolm
Forsyth's, at the University of Alberta, who was then also a PhD candidate in
physics. The program cover was designed by Michael's former student, Nicole MacDonald.
An article in Physics in Canada
summarized the World Year of Physics activities. The Toronto Star published a series on
physicists’ favorite equations and included Michael’s on Maxwell’s equations.
In 2006 he received three awards. The StFX
Friendship Award given in February 2006 was very pleasing. The
Canadian Association of Physicists/Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists Peter Kirkby Memorial Medal for Outstanding Service to
Canadian Physics was awarded to him at the CAP Congress in June 2006. The
Division of Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (DCMMP) of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) selected the paper,
"Sodium Nitrate - a difficult discontinuous phase
transition", by Michael O. Steinitz, David A. Pink, J. Patrick Clancy, A. Nicole MacDonald and Ian Swainson, Vol. 82, 12, 1097 (2004),
as the Best Condensed Matter/ Materials Paper in
the Canadian Journal of Physics for Dec. 2004 -Nov. 2005.
Prior to coming to StFX in
1973 he was at the University of
Toronto (PDF), Northwestern
University (PhD), Cornell University
(B.Engr.Physics), the University of Goettingen,
Germany, the University of Pennsylvania,
and Columbia University. He has
twice been Lady Davis visiting professor for a year at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology,
in Haifa. He
lectures on physics in English, German, French, and Hebrew.
He is chair of the
Antigonish Performing Arts Committee, which presents the Antigonish
Performing Arts Series of eight to ten concerts per year. He is a
past member of the board of directors of Debut
Atlantic and the Performing Arts Sponsors Organization of Nova
Scotia. He is pleased to have played a role in bringing CBC Radio Two to the Antigonish area.
Michael was President of
the Canadian Association of Physicists
during 1998-99 and chair of the board of directors of the Canadian Institute
for Photonic Innovations (ICIP/CIPI)
from 1999-2002. He served three terms as a member of the Board of
Governors of St. Francis Xavier University. He was co-author, with Bev
Robertson, of the Highly Qualified Personnel Section of
the Review of Canadian Academic Physics.
Profiles at StFX and at the StFX Research Grants
Office contain some further details.
Publications
since 1991
·
71.
Michael Steinitz 2016 “The Mechanics of Scientific Publishing, Peer
Review, and Ethics in Publishing”, Physics in Canada, 72, 17-18.
·
70.
Editor of “An Accompanist’s ABC” memoirs of celebrated Canadian pianist
John Newmark.
·
69.
Report on Canadian Team’s Participation in the 4th International
Conference for Women in Physics -- Stellenbosch, South Africa, April 5-9, 2011,
Marina Milner-Bolotin, Adriana Predoi-Cross
Roby Austin, Arundhati Dasgupta,
Shohini Ghose, Michael
Steinitz, Li-Hong Xu, Physics in Canada, vol. 67, pp. 204-207, 2011
Proceedings of the 4th international
conference on women in physics, Stellenbosch, April 2011
·
68. T.D. Hatchard, A.E.
George, S.P. Farrell, M.O. Steinitz,
C.P. Adams, M. Cormier, and R.A. Dunlap 2010
“Production and characterization of <100> textured magnetostrictive Fe-Ga rods”, J. Alloys and Compounds 494,
420-425.
·
67. A. Tauheed, Y. N.
Joshi, and M. Steinitz 2009 “Revised analysis of singly ionized tellurium: Te II” Can. J. Phys. 87 1255-1268
- 66.
M. O. Steinitz 2006 “Capacitance Dilatometry Moves from Cryogenic
to High Temperatures” Physics in Canada 62, 99-101. –
invited, refereed review article.
Michael O. Steinitz 2006 “The World Year of
Physics in Canada”, Physics
in Canada,
62, 13-14.
Michael Steinitz 2005
“A Sentimental Journey, of sorts”, Physics in Canada, 61, 149.
- 65. M. O. Steinitz, D. A. Pink, G.
S. MacLeod, B. Quinn and G. L. Ryan 2004 "Magnetoelasticity
and the Spin Rotation Transition in Cobalt" Canadian
Journal of Physics 82, 1077-1084.
- 64. M. O. Steinitz, D. A. Pink, P. Clancy, A. N. MacDonald and I. Swainson 2004 " Sodium Nitrate - A
Difficult Discontinuous Phase Transition” Canadian
Journal of Physics 82, 1097-1107.
- 63 D.A. Tindall, M.J. Small, M.O. Steinitz
and Z. Tun 1998 "Experimental verification
of the significance of trigonal coupling for the 1/4 lock-in in
holmium", Physica B 241-243, 699-701.
- 62. M. O. Steinitz, D. A. Pink, C. P.
Adams and D. A. Tindall 1997 "A Model for the Occurrence of Lock-ins
in Holmium" 1997 Canadian
Journal of Physics 75, 433-441.
- 61. R. Weil, O. Yampolsky,
J. K. Furdyna, R. Deljouravesh
and M. Steinitz 1995 "Some Optical and Thermal Properties of
Cd.9Mn.1Te",
J. Appl. Phys., 78, 6330-6331.
- 60. Mark Lumsden,
Michael Steinitz and E. J. McAlduff 1995
"Phase Transitions Involving Vacancy Ordering In Two Metal Mercuric
Iodides, Ag2HgI4 and Cu2HgI4", J.
Appl. Phys., 77, 6039-6041.
- 59. M. O. Steinitz, C. P. Adams and D. A.
Tindall 1995 "Finite Size Effects and the Devil's Staircase in
Holmium", Journal
of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 140-144, 759-760.
- 58. D. A. Tindall, C. P. Adams, M. O.
Steinitz and T. M. Holden 1994 "Discovery of the Á = 2/9 Lock-in and
Implications for the Magnetic Phase Diagram of Holmium", J.
Appl. Phys. 76, 6229-6231.
- 57. D. A. Tindall, C. P. Adams and M. O.
Steinitz 1994 "Details of the Magnetic Phase Diagram of Holmium from
Neutron Diffraction in b-axis Fields", J.
Appl. Phys. 75, 6318-6320.
- 56. D. A. Tindall, M. O. Steinitz and T.
M. Holden 1993 "Studies of the magnetic phase diagram of holmium
using neutron diffraction", J.
Appl. Phys. 73, 6543-6545.
- 55. D. A. Tindall, M. O. Steinitz and T.
M. Holden 1993 "Observation of the stabilization of a second lock-in
phase in holmium at 42K with a wave vector of 0.2 reciprocal lattice
units", Phys.
Rev. B. 47, 5463-5464.
- 54. D. A. Tindall, M. O. Steinitz and T.
M. Holden 1992 "Lock-ins in a b-axis field in holmium", J. Phys.:Condens.
Matter 4, 9927-9930.
- 53. D. A. Tindall, M. O. Steinitz and D.
R. Noakes 1992 "The 2tau satellites in
holmium near the Neel point", Physica B
180/181, 79-81.
- 52. M. O.
Steinitz, D. A. Tindall and M. Kahrizi 1992
"Exploration of the phase diagram of holmium in a magnetic field
using neutron diffraction and thermal expansion measurements", Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 104-107,
1531-1532.
- 51. S. K. Misra, M. Kahrizi, J.
Kotlinski, M. O. Steinitz and F. S. Razavi 1992
"Single-Crystal EPR and Thermal Expansion Studies of the High-Tc Superconductor
Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d", Solid State Commun. 81, 503-507.
- 50. Mojtaba Kahrizi, Sushil K. Misra, Jerzy Kotlinski, M. O. Steinitz and Truis
Smith-Palmer 1991 "Mn2+ EPR Study of Phase Transitions Occurring in
Single Crystals of [N(CH3)4]2ZnCl4, [N(CH3)4]2ZnBr4, [N(CH3)4]2CoBr4,
[N(C2H5)4]2ZnCl4, [N(C2H5)4]2ZnBr4, [N(C2H5)4]2CoBr4,
[N(C2H5)4]2MnBr4", Solid State Commun. 79, 167-173.
- 49. D. A.
Tindall, M. O. Steinitz, M. Kahrizi, D. R. Noakes and N. Ali 1991 "Investigation of the Helimagnetic Phases of Holmium in a c-Axis Magnetic
Field", J. Appl. Phys. 69, 5691-5693.
- 48. Mojtaba Kahrizi, M. O.
Steinitz and Truis Smith-Palmer 1991
"Thermal Expansion Measurements on Some Tetra-Alkylammonium
Metal Bromides", Solid State Commun. 77, 99-101.
- 47. J. Genossar and M. O. Steinitz 1990 "A Tilted Plate Capacitance
Displacement Sensor", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 61,
2469- 2471.
- 46. Mojtaba Kahrizi and M. O.
Steinitz 1990 "Thermal Expansion and Phase Transitions in Some Tetra-Alkylammonium Metal Chlorides", Solid State Commun. 74, 333-335.
- 45. Frank
Willis, Naushad Ali, M. O. Steinitz, Mojtaba Kahrizi and D. A.
Tindall 1990 "Observation of Transitions to Spin-Slip Structures and
Splitting of the Neel Temperature of Holmium in Magnetic Fields", J. Appl. Phys. 67, 5277-5279.
- 44. D. R. Noakes, D. A. Tindall M. O. Steinitz and N. Ali 1990
"Observation of a Commensurate Temperature Plateau Induced by c-Axis
Magnetic Fields in Holmium", J. Appl. Phys. 67, 5274-5276.
- 43. Naushad Ali, Frank Willis, M. O. Steinitz, Mojtaba Kahrizi and D. A.
Tindall 1989 "Observation of Transitions to 'Spin-Slip' Structures in
Single Crystal Holmium", Phys. Rev. B1, Rapid Communications, 40, 11414-11416.
- 42. M. O.
Steinitz, Mojtaba Kahrizi,
D. A. Tindall and Naushad
Ali 1989 "New Magnetic Phases of Holmium in a Magnetic Field", Phys. Rev. B1, 40, 763-764.
- 41. M. O.Steinitz, Mojtaba Kahrizi and Richard A. Butera
1989 "Dilatometric Study of New Phase
Transitions in YBa2Cu3O6.9", Phys. Rev. B1, 40, 7316-7317.
- 40. Mojtaba Kahrizi and M. O.
Steinitz 1989 "Structural Phase Transitions in ((C2H5)4N)2CdX4 and
((CH3)4N)2CdX4 Compounds with X=Cl, Br", Solid State Comm. 70, 599-603.
- 39. Mojtaba Kahrizi and M. O.
Steinitz 1988 "Phase Transitions and Thermal Expansion in Langbeinite Type Compounds", Solid State Comm., 66, 375-378.
- 38. Naushad Ali, Mojtaba Kahrizi and M. O. Steinitz 1988 "First and Second
Order Phase Transitions in Rare-Earth Hexaborides", Solid State Comm. 65, 183-184.
- 37. D. A.
Pink and M. O. Steinitz 1988 "Domain-Domain Interactions and Internal
Strains in Chromium", J. Phys. F: Metal Physics 18, 789-795.
- 36. M. O.
Steinitz, M. Kahrizi and D. A. Tindall 1987
"Splitting of the Neel Transition in Holmium in a Magnetic
Field", Phys. Rev. B1 36, 783-784.
- 35. M. O.
Steinitz, M. Kahrizi, J. Genossar
and R. G. Snyder 1987 "First Order Phase Transitions in the Odd
n-alkanes C29 and C19", J. Phys. Chem. 91, 3433-3435.
- 34. M. O.
Steinitz, M. Kahrizi, D. A. Tindall, H. U. Astrom and G. Benediktsson
1987 "Calorimetric and Dilatometric Study
of the Curie Transition in Holmium", Phys. Rev. B1 35, 8747-8748.
- 33. M. Kahrizi and M. O. Steinitz 1987 "Dilatometric Investigations on PbHPO4", J. Phys. C: Solid State Physics 20, L1-L5.
- 32. Mojtaba Kahrizi and M. O.
Steinitz 1986 "Dilatometric Investigations
on Single Crystals of the Isomorphs - CaCd(OAc)4.6H2O and CaCu(OAc)4.6H2O", Solid State Comm. 60, 227-230.
- 31. M. O.
Steinitz 1986 "Physical Properties of Chromium - a Topical
Review", J. Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 60, 137-144.
- 30. M. O. Steinitz, J. Genossar, W. Schnepf and D. A.
Tindall 1986 "A Simple, Versatile and
Compact Capacitance Dilatometer", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 57,
297-298.
- 29. S. W. Zochowski, D. A. Tindall, M. Kahrizi,
J. Genossar and M. O. Steinitz 1986
"Critical Thermal Expansion of Dysprosium", J. Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 54-57, 707-709.
- 28. M. O.
Steinitz, M. Kahrizi and O. G. Brandt 1985
"Spurious Oscillatory Effects in Ultrasonic Attenuation" Solid. State Comm. 56, 583.
- 27. B.
MacDonald, N. Jan, D. L. Hunter and M. O. Steinitz 1985 "Polymer
Conformations Through 'Wiggling' ", J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 18, 2627-2631.
- 26. M. O.
Steinitz and R. Vallee 1984 "Possible Evidence for a Glass Transition
in Trans-(CH)x", Solid State Communications, 52, 899-900.
- 25. M. O.
Steinitz 1984 "Experimental Studies of Antiferromagnetic
Chromium", Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Hochschule fuer
Verkehrswesen 'Friedrich List' Dresden, 13, 147-156.
- 24. J. Genossar, M. O. Steinitz and E. Fawcett 1984 "Dilatometric Study of Magnetic Phase Transitions in
Erbium", Can. J. Physics, 62, 823-825.
- 23. D. A.
Tindall and M. O. Steinitz 1984 "Phase Transitions in Alpha Uranium
at Low Temperatures Studied by Capacitance Dilatometry"
J. Physics F:Metal Physics, 14, 1131-1136.
- 22. M.O.
Steinitz and W. Schnepf 1983 "A Novel Cell for
the Study of Phase Transitions Using Liquid Dilatometry", J. Physics E:Scientific Instruments, 16, 611-612,
- 21. D.A.
Tindall and M.O. Steinitz 1983 "First and Second Order Magnetic Phase
Transitions in Terbium and Dysprosium", J. Physics F:Metal Physics, 13, L71-L73.
- 20. N. Jan
and M.O. Steinitz 1983 "Comparison of Different Boundary Conditions
for Monte Carlo Simulations of Ising
Models", J. Statistical Physics, 30, 37-44.
- 19. M.O.
Steinitz and J. Genossar 1981 "Anharmonicity, Anisotropy, Interlayer Coupling and the
Re-entrant Lock-in Transition in 2H-TaSe2", J.Phys.C:Solid State Physics, 14, L939-L943.
- 18. J. Genossar, A. Gordon, M.O. Steinitz and R. Weil 1981
"Anomalous Thermal Expansion at Phase Transitions of Ag4RbI5", Solid State Communications, 40, 253-254.
- 17. M.O.
Steinitz, E. Ehrenfreund and P.J. Nigrey 1981 "High Resolution Thermal Expansion
Measurements of TTF-TCNQ in the Transition Region", Molecular
Crystals and Liquid Crystals - section on Low Dimensional Solids, 69,
173-176.
- 16. M.O.
Steinitz and D.A. Pink 1980 "Ultrasonic Attenuation and the Phase
Diagram of Antiferromagnetic Chromium", J.Phys.F:Metal Physics, 10, L247-L252.
- 15. M.O.
Steinitz and J. Grunzweig-Genossar 1979 "A
New Phase Transition in 2H-TaSe2", Solid State Communications, 29, 519-521.
- 14. M.O.
Steinitz and J. Grunzweig-Genossar 1979
"Volume Changes at the Magnetic Transitions of UP", J.de
Physique, 40, C4-34.
- 13. D.A.
Pink, M.O. Steinitz, D.J. Stanley, E. Fawcett and J.M. Perz
1978 "Polarizatiion Domain Effects on
Ultrasonic Velocity in Antiferromagnetic Chromium", J.Phys.F:Metal Physics, 8, 961-967.
- 12. D.A. Tindall, M.O. Steinitz and M.L. Plumer
1977 "Thermal Expansion in the Magnetically Ordered Phases of
Holmium", J.Phys.F:Metal
Physics, 7, L263-L266.
- 11. M.O.
Steinitz, D.A. Pink and D.A. Tindall 1977 "Thermally Excited
Polarization Domains in Antiferromagnetic Chromium", Phys.Rev.B, 15, 4341-4343.
- 10. M.O.
Steinitz, E. Fawcett, C.G. Windsor, F.A. Wedgwood and R.D. Lowde 1977 "Absence of Neutron Diffraction Line
Broadening due to Polarization Domains in the Transverse Spin-Density-Wave
Phase of Antiferromagnetic Chromium", Solid State Communications, 21,
357-358.
- 9. M.O.
Steinitz, D.J. Stanley and E. Fawcett 1976 "Elastic Anisotropy in the
TSDW Phase of Chromium", A.I.P. Conference Proceedings No. 29 (21st
Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials), 530-531.
- 8. M.O.
Steinitz and E. Fawcett 1973 "Anisotropy of Magnetostriction
in Cubic Transition Metals and in the LSDW Phase of Antiferromagnetic
Chromium", Proceedings of the 1973 International Conference on
Magnetism, Moscow, USSR, 1, (2), 184-188.
- 7. M.O.
Steinitz, J.P. Kalejs, J.M. Perz
and E. Fawcett 1973 "Ultrasonic Attenuation due to Polarization
Domain Relaxation Processes in the Transverse Spin-Density-Wave Phase of
Antiferromagnetic Chromium", J.Phys.F:Metal
Physics, 3, 617-622.
- 6. L.M.
Levinson, G.H. Lander and M.O. Steinitz 1972 "Anomalous Magnetic
Behavior of MnSi", A.I.P. Conference Proceedings
No.10 (18th Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials), 1138.
- 5. T.L.
Tam, M.O. Steinitz and E. Fawcett 1972 "Anisotropy of the Magnetostriction of V, Mo and W", J.Phys.F:Metal Physics, 2,
L129-L131.
- 4. M.O.
Steinitz, E. Fawcett, C.E. Burleson, J.A. Schaefer, L.O. Frishman and J.A. Marcus 1972 "Orthorhombic
Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility in Antiferromagnetic Chromium",
Phys.Rev.B 5, 3675-3678.
- 3. M.O.
Steinitz, C.E. Burleson and J.A. Marcus 1970 "Low Temperature Phase Transitions
in 'Alpha' Uranium",J.Appl.Phys. 41, 5057-5059.
- 2. M.O.
Steinitz, L.H. Schwartz, J.A. Marcus, E. Fawcett and W.A. Reed 1970
"Lattice Anisotropy in Antiferromagnetic Chromium", J.Appl.Phys. 41, 1231-1232.
- 1. M.O.
Steinitz, L.H. Schwartz, J.A. Marcus, E. Fawcett and W.A. Reed 1970
"Lattice Anisotropy in Antiferromagnetic Chromium", Phys.Rev.Letters, 23, 979-982.