Magnetic Evolution of Highly Sheared Region in Active Region 13842 Producing Large X9.0 Flare

Abstract Shearing motion and magnetic flux cancellation around the polarity inversion line (PIL) play significant roles in the build-up of free magnetic energy and magnetic flux rope (MFR) in the source region of major solar flares. Here we investigate the magnetic evolution of a highly sheared PIL in active region 13842, hosting the largest X9.0 flare of Solar Cycle 25. Since 2024 September 29, a positive-polarity pore persistently drifted northward along the western side of the AR’s main negative-polarity sunspot. The main sunspot remained stationary until negative-polarity patches successively emerged to its east and approached. Rear-ended by these same-polarity patches, the sunspot then began moving westward toward the opposite-polarity pore around October 1, forming a collisional PIL. Meanwhile, on the PIL’s other side, the pore was also rear-ended by same-polarity patches sequentially emerging behind it, accelerating the shearing motion around the PIL, where frequent flux cancellations were also observed. Synchronous rapid accumulation of free magnetic energy and formation of MFR were then observed in the PIL, where multiple major flares successively occurred within 2 days. Before these large flares, the area and total free energy of the high-free-energy-density PIL region gradually decreased in the photosphere, which could be caused by the initial ascent of MFR before eruption and serve as a precursor of solar eruptions. These results suggest that persistent flux emergence with cross-separation directions facilitates rapid formation of collisional shearing PIL and frequent flux cancellations, leading to repeated MFR formations and multiple large flares in a relatively short time.