Reduced X-shooter spectra of GRB 190114A

We confirm that H2 is detected in all CI- and H2*-bearing GRB absorption systems, but that these rarer features are not necessarily detected in all GRB H2 absorbers. We find that a large molecular fraction of f_H2_>~10^-3^ is required for CI to be detected. The defining characteristic for H_2_* to be present is less clear, though a large H_2_ column density is an essential factor.

We also find that the observed line profiles of the molecular-gas tracers are kinematically "cold", with small velocity offsets of {delta}v<20km/s from the bulk of the neutral absorbing gas. We then derive the H_2_ excitation temperatures of the molecular gas and find that they are relatively low with Tex~=100-300K, however, there could be evidence of warmer components populating the high-J H_2_ levels in GRBs 181020A and 190114A.

Finally, we demonstrate that even though the X-shooter GRB afterglow campaign has been successful in recovering several H2-bearing GRB-host absorbers, this sample is still hampered by a significant dust bias excluding the most dust-obscured H_2_ absorbers from identification. CI and H_2_* could open a potential route to identify molecular gas even in low-metallicity or highly dust-obscured bursts, though they are only efficient tracers for the most H2-rich GRB-host absorption systems.