PhD position in physics: "Integration of dielectric and tomographic measurements on water ice samples simulating the properties of the crusts of Europa and Ganymede"
Roma Tre University - Mathematics and Physics Department
Planetary and Solar System Sciences (PS)
This research project will be developed entirely within the ERC Advanced Grant SWIM (Surfing Radio Waves to Detect Liquid Water in the Solar System) project. The research activity is mainly focused to the activity described in the WP1 and WP2 and is dedicated to the creation and validation of an experimental setup for the measurement of the dielectric properties and structural characteristics (defects, fractures, bubbles, etc.) of pure and salt-doped ice samples, obtained through growth in a climatic chamber under different thermal conditions. The dielectric characteristics of ice are strongly influenced by the structural properties and the presence of defects; therefore, the research will be aimed at developing a procedure that allows the creation of ice samples capable of providing reproducible measurements. During the project, the PhD student will acquire skills in the field of dielectric measurements at different frequencies, in the production of cryogenic samples and in the use of advanced imaging techniques such as X-ray tomography. The research activity will allow the PhD student to contribute to publish scientific articles in international journals with a high impact factor.