Metastability and hysteresis of the vortex states in rotating superfluid ³He-B

We have investigated the vortex core transition in ³He-B by measuring the associated changes in mutual friction dissipation within the superfluid. If rotation is continuously stopped and restarted while cooling or warming then the transition occurs at a clearly defined temperature, but temperature sweeps during continuous rotation show substantial supercooling and superheating. Moreover, the high temperature vortex shows a continuum of metastable states when supercooled to a constant, arbitrary low temperature, the mutual friction dissipaton depending on the temperature at which rotation was started. Our current interpretation is that the high temperature vortex state is a temperature-dependent mixture of two vortex types.