Roma Tre University Inaugurates SWIM Lab for the Search for Extraterrestrial Water

Roma Tre University has inaugurated SWIM Lab, an advanced research facility dedicated to the search for liquid water on Jupiter’s icy moons and the study of environments potentially favorable to life.
The laboratory is part of the ERC Advanced Grant 2023 project SWIM – Surfing Radio Waves to Detect Liquid Water in the Solar System, led by Prof. Elena Pettinelli - Roma Tre University, a leading expert in planetary geophysics.
SWIM Lab will analyze radar data from ESA’s JUICE and NASA’s Europa Clipper missions, currently en route to Jupiter’s icy moons – Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto - aiming to detect water beneath their surface and to identify possible extraterrestrial habitats. The ability to correctly interpret such data depends on accurate knowledge of the dielectric properties of ice, which remain poorly understood. Bridging this gap is one of the main objectives of the SWIM project, which will develop new experimental protocols based on experience gained in the dielectric characterization of planetary analogues.
SWIM continues the tradition of excellence in research by Professor Pettinelli’s group: in 2018, the team identified, thanks to data from the Italian radar MARSIS, the first stable body of liquid water beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars.
“The inauguration of SWIM Lab confirms Roma Tre’s role as a university capable of competing at the highest levels of international research,” said Rector Professor Massimiliano Fiorucci. “This laboratory represents a strategic investment not only in scientific progress but also in new generations: students, PhD candidates and young researchers will have the opportunity to train and work in an environment of excellence, contributing to frontier projects that expand our understanding of the Universe and strengthen the link between teaching and research.”
The new laboratory occupies over 100 square meters and is equipped with advanced instruments, including a climate chamber, dielectric measurement devices, Raman spectroscopy equipment, computational modeling systems and X-ray microtomography. “The laboratory is already fully operational” explains Professor Pettinelli “We have completed the equipment testing phase and collected the first measurements, starting with pure ice as a reference for studying the icy moons. The initial results are very promising and will help us address crucial questions in ice physics, relevant both for planetary exploration and for understanding climate change on Earth.”
Future developments of the project include the creation of an innovative experimental apparatus that will simulate the ice/ocean interface of Europa satellite. Funded with €3.2 million, the SWIM project also aims to train a new generation of young researchers and students, offering them the opportunity to work in an international context and on a cutting-edge scientific initiative.
At this link: photos and videos of the laboratory and a short video interview with Professor Elena Pettinelli.