ORFEUS II echelle spectra: Detection of H 2 absorption in SMC gas

We present a study of H2 in the SMC gas, based on Far UV spectroscopy in the line of sight to the SMC star HD 5980. 17 absorption lines from the Lyman band have been analysed. Our line of sight crosses two clouds within the SMC. We detect a cool molecular component near +120 km s 1 , where the H2 from the lowest 3 rotational states (J 2) is found. For this cloud we derive an excitation temperature of ' 70 K, proba- bly the kinetic temperature of the gas. Another SMC component is visible at +160 km s 1 . Here we find unblended H 2 absorp- tion lines from levels 5 J 7. For this component we obtain an equivalent excitation temperature of > 2350 K and conclude that this cloud must be highly excited by strong UV radiation from its energetic environment.