Anomalous magnetic hysteresis in the microwave surface resistance of MgB2 superconductor

We report experimental results of the field-induced variations of the microwave surface resistance in samples of MgB2, produced by different methods. By sweeping the DC magnetic field at increasing and decreasing values, we have detected a magnetic hysteresis that can be ascribed to the different magnetic induction, due to the critical state of the fluxon lattice. The hysteresis observed in the bulk samples has an unusual shape, which cannot be justified in the framework of the critical-state models.