Title: Properties of Host Galaxies of Powerful Radio Sources
Abstract: This paper describes those properties of the host galaxies of powerful radio sources that are unique to radio galaxies. The radio galaxies have redshifts up to z = 0.5 and radio powers, P408 MHz, ranging from 1025 to 1028 W Hz–1 (H0 = 50 km s–1 Mpc–1 and q0 = 0.0). We find that the magnitudes, colors, and surface brightness profiles of these radio galaxies are very diverse. Their rest frame V magnitudes range from -24th to -20th magnitude and are 0.55 ± 0.06 mag fainter than those of brightest cluster members. Their (B - V) colors can be as red as those of brightest cluster members but may also be ~ 1 mag bluer. The optical structure of the low-redshift (0.03 < z < 0.25) radio galaxies may vary ranging from cD to N galaxy behavior. Although the host galaxies of the low-redshift radio sources are generally "elliptical-like" galaxies, a comparison of the overall structure of radio galaxies to those of radio-quiet "generalized elliptical galaxies" of Schombert shows that only 17% are genuine elliptical galaxies, 9% have elliptical profiles with truncated halos, 26% are roughly elliptical but have disturbed surface brightness profiles, 16% are cD or D galaxies, 7% have double nuclei, and 21% are N galaxies. The only property that radio galaxies, as a class, have in common is that their sizes are relatively larger than those of normal elliptical galaxies of the same absolute magnitude. At the 22d isophote (in V) radio galaxies are 11% larger, at the 24th isophote they are 15% larger, and at the 25th isophote they are 20% larger.