Scaling analysis of the collapse of branched polymers

The specific heat of branched polymers having an attractive monomer-monomer interaction is calculated using Monte Carlo methods in the lattice-animal model on the simple-cubic lattice, for animals of various sizes $N$, up to $N=80\mathrm{}$. The data confirm a scaling function for the specific heat derived from a scaling analysis in analogy with linear polymers. This gives better estimates for the collapse transition temperature $T_c$ and the crossover exponent $\phi$.