We report the discovery of very high latitude molecular gas in the edge-on
spiral galaxy, NGC 5775. Emission from both the J=1-0 and 2-1 lines of 12CO is
detected up to 4.8 kpc away from the mid-plane of the galaxy. NGC 5775 is known
to host a number of HI supershells. The association of the molecular gas
M(H2,F2) = 3.1x10^7 solar masses reported here with one of the HI supershells
(labeled F2) is clear, which suggests that molecular gas may have survived the
process which originally formed the supershell. Alternatively, part of the gas
could have been formed in situ at high latitude from shock-compression of
pre-existing HI gas. The CO J=2-1/J=1-0 line ratio of 0.34+-40% is
significantly lower than unity, which suggests that the gas is excited
subthermally, with gas density a few times 100 cubic cm. The molecular gas is
likely in the form of cloudlets which are confined by magnetic and cosmic rays
pressure. The potential energy of the gas at high latitude is found to be
2x10^56 ergs and the total (HI + H2) kinetic energy is 9x10^53 ergs. Based on
the energetics of the supershell, we suggest that most of the energy in the
supershell is in the form of potential energy and that the supershell is on the
verge of falling and returning the gas to the disk of the galaxy.Comment: Accept by ApJL, 4 pages, 3 ps figure