2017ApJ...850L..20S

We consider various possible scenarios to explain the recent observation of what has been called a broad Hα absorption in our Galactic halo, with peak optical depth τ≃0.01 and equivalent width W≃0.17 Å. We show that the absorbed feature cannot arise from the circumgalactic and ISM Hα absorption. As the observed absorption feature is quite broad (Δλ≃30 Å), we also consider CNO lines that lie close to Hα as possible alternatives to explain the feature. We show that such lines could also not account for the observed feature. Instead, we suggest that it could arise from diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) carriers or polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) absorption. While we identify several such lines close to the Hα transition, we are unable to determine the molecule responsible for the observed feature, partly because of selection effects that prevent us from identifying DIBs/PAHs features close to Hα using local observations. Deep integration of a few extragalactic sources with high spectral resolution might allow us to distinguish between different possible explanations.