{
  "abstract": "Molecular hydrogen (H$_2$) is the key ingredient for star formation in galaxies. However, how H$_2$ is distributed in and around galaxies is an open question in astronomy. We report the detection of H$_2$ (covering excitation levels $J = 0$ to 3) in a unique environment at a distance of 139 kpc from a starbursting luminous infrared galaxy. This is the furthest from a galaxy that H$_2$ has been directly detected to date. This H$_2$ system is unlike any seen before, with a high molecular-to-atomic hydrogen ratio (2%) and an accompanying low neutral hydrogen column density (log$_{10}[N($H I$)/\\mathrm{cm}^{-2}] = 18.52^{+0.13}_{-3.58}$). Our measurements reveal that the H$_2$ bearing cloud is traveling at $\\sim$100 km s$^{-1}$ relative to the host galaxy, has a super-solar metallicity, and excites at a single, cold temperature ($245^{+25}_{-21}$ K) indicating a lack of the ''typical'' core-envelope structure seen in other H$_2$ clouds. Furthermore, our analysis points to the H$_2$ likely being formed through interactions between galactic winds and the gaseous halo surrounding the galaxy. The properties of this cloud suggest that the H$_2$ is short-lived, yet it presents crucial information on the microphysics of the wind-CGM interactions.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.06662",
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Brad Koplitz"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sanchayeeta Borthakur"
    },
    {
      "name": "Timothy Heckman"
    },
    {
      "name": "Frances H. Cashman"
    },
    {
      "name": "Evan Scannapieco"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jason Tumlinson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Hsiao-Wen Chen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Molly Peeples"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4d7fzyp91w39c.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.06662",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "4d7fzyp91w39c",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.06662",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "astro-ph.GA"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220743048",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.06662",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-05",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4d7fzyp91w39c.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:27:01Z",
      "native_id": "2610.06662",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.06662"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "arxiv:astro-ph.GA",
      "subfield": "galaxies"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Forming Molecular Hydrogen in a Galaxy Halo Through Star Formation Wind Interactions",
  "title_text": "Forming Molecular Hydrogen in a Galaxy Halo Through Star Formation Wind Interactions",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:27:01Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4d7fzyp91w39c",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}