The radio properties of HERGs with intermediate radio powers

In the past decade, high-sensitivity radio surveys have revealed that the local radio active galactic nucleus population is dominated by moderate-to-low power sources with emission that is compact on galaxy scales. High-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs) with intermediate radio powers (22.5 < log (L-1.4GHz) < 25.0 W Hz(-1)) form an important sub-group of this population, since there is strong evidence that they also drive multiphase outflows on the scales of galaxy bulges. Here, we present high-resolution Very Large Array observations at 1.5, 4.5, and 7.5 GHz of a sample of 16 such HERGs in the local universe (z < 0.1), conducted in order to investigate the morphology, extent, and spectra of their radio emission in detail, down to sub-kpc scales. We find that the majority (56 per cent) have unresolved structures at the limiting angular resolution of the observations (similar to 0.3 arcsec). Although similar in the compactness of their radio structures, these sources have steep radio spectra and host galaxy properties that distinguish them from local low-excitation radio galaxies that are unresolved on similar scales. The remaining sources exhibit extended radio structures with projected diameters similar to 1.4-19.0 kpc and a variety of morphologies: three double-lobed; two large-scale diffuse; one jetted and 'S-shaped'; one undetermined. Only 19 per cent of the sample therefore exhibit the double-lobed/edge-brightened structures often associated with their counterparts at high and low radio powers: radio-powerful HERGs and Seyfert galaxies, respectively. Additional high-resolution observations are required to investigate this further, and to probe the less than or similar to 300 pc scales on which some Seyfert galaxies show extended structures.