Molecular DNM in Chamaeleon CO spectra

We took ^12^CO J=1-0 absorption profiles toward 6 of 8 members of a group of sightlines in Chamaeleon having abundant dark neutral matter and molecular hydrogen but no detectable CO emission. CO absorption was detected along five of the six sightlines at column densities 4x10^+13^cm^-2^<~N(CO)<~10^15^cm^-2^ that are below typical survey detection limits of 1-2K-km/s.

Dark gas absent in CO emission along sightlines in the outskirts of the Chamaeleon complex where molecular gas is readily detected in HCO^+^ absorption results from small CO column densities around the onset of CO formation at the HI/H_2_ transition. Relative abundances N(CO)/H_2_<3x10^-6^ in Chamaeleon are comparable to those seen in UV absorption toward early-type stars and in a CO absorption/emission line survey toward local quasar background targets away from the Galactic plane.