A complete sample of radio sources in the North Ecliptic Cap, selected at 38 MHz -- III. further imaging observations and the photometric properties of the sample

Abstract

Further imaging observations of a sample of radio sources in the North Ecliptic Cap are presented and a number of new identifications are made. Using redshifts from spectroscopic data presented in a companion paper (Lacy et al.\ 1999b), the photometric properties of the galaxies in the sample are discussed. It is shown that: (1) out to at least z~0.6 radio galaxies are good standard candles irrespective of radio luminosity; (2) for 0.6~<z~<1 a large fraction of the sample have magnitudes and colours consistent with a non-evolving giant elliptical, and (3) at higher redshifts, where the R-band samples the rest-frame UV flux, most objects have less UV luminosity than expected if they form their stellar populations at a constant rate from a high redshift to $z\sim 1$ in unobscured star-forming regions (assuming an Einstein -- de Sitter cosmology). The consequences of these observations are briefly discussed.

10 pages, 6 figures, accepted by MNRAS

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