An integer degree for asymptotically conical self-expanders

We establish the existence of an integer degree for the natural projection map from the space of parameterizations of asymptotically conical self-expanders to the space of parameterizations of the asymptotic cones when this map is proper. As an application we show that there is an open set in the space of cones in the three-dimensional Euclidean space for which each cone in the set has a strictly unstable self-expanding annuli asymptotic to it.