In a revolutionary new study, researchers at the University of Tokyo have discovered that an extremely ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) source has a strong magnetic field, something never before seen in an astronomical object of its size. The findings, published in Science, open up a new way of understanding the nature of these enigmatic objects, which are among the brightest X-ray sources in the universe.

This exciting new discovery is the result of a long-term collaboration between researchers at the University of Tokyo and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Using the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) onboard the Suzaku satellite, the team was able to detect a strong magnetic field surrounding the ULX source, dubbed ULX-2. This is the first time that a magnetic field has been observed in such a small object - something that was previously thought to be impossible due to the amount of energy that would be required to generate it. The results suggest that ULX-2 may be a neutron star, a highly magnetized, dense object that forms when a large star collapses in on itself.

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source: Phys.org