Students from Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre (The NCS) and Fellows Oleksiy S., Emery Grahill-Bland, and Ee Ze (Jazz) Ooi from UCL have made significant strides in understanding the rotational-vibrational energies of ND2H, a doubly-deuterated form of ammonia. Their work has implications for astrophysics and the study of exoplanets!

To obtain high-resolution spectra, the ExoMol standard requires the consolidation of all experimental transitions available for a given isotopologue, which are then subject to the MARVEL (Measured Active Rotational Vibrational Energy Levels) procedure. By meticulously analyzing a vast dataset of 9980 ro-vibrational transitions, the students were able to refine the existing understanding of ND2H's energy levels. They corrected errors in previous data and derived a comprehensive set of 2308 energy levels using Python.

These findings are crucial for several reasons. First, they provide a solid foundation for theorists to test their computational models and predict new transitions. Second, they enable astronomers to analyze the light emitted by exoplanets and determine their atmospheric composition. Finally, the study of ND2H can shed light on the age of stars, as the concentration of this molecule decreases over time.

In essence, the student's work has not only advanced our knowledge of ND2H but also opened new avenues for exploring the universe and understanding its celestial bodies!