Abstract
Strong metastability and history dependence are observed in DC and pulsed
transport studies of flux-line lattices in 2H-$NbSe_{2}$, leading to the
identification of two distinct states of the lattice with different spatial
ordering. The metastability is most pronounced upon crossing a transition line
marked by a large jump in the critical current (the peak effect). Current
induced annealing of the metastable state towards the stable state is observed
with a strongly current dependent annealing time, which diverges as a threshold
current is approached from above.