Fluctuations and thermodynamics of the charge-density-wave phase transition

We present results on the resistivity {ρ}, specific heat Cₚ, and susceptibility {χ} of K0.3{MoO}₃$ near the Peierls transition ${T}ₚ$ at 180 K. Our resistivity measurements demonstrate that fluctuations intrinsic to the material persist over a temperature interval that is at least 30 K wide. Associated with the large fluctuations is en enhanced specific-heat anomaly that we analyze in terms of the short coherence lengths characteristic of many Peierls systems. We find a scaling relation between the spin susceptibility and the specific heat that covers the intrinsic fluctuation regime.