RADIO-CONTINUUM OBSERVATIONS OF THE CENTRAL REGIONS OF SERSIC-PASTORIZA GALAXIES

We present radio-continuum observations, made with the VLA A-array at 20 cm and with the B-array at 6 cm, of a sample of 47 Sersic-Pastoriza galaxies, 27 of which were detected. Those with a bright nucleus and well-defined hotspots in the central region at optical wavelengths are the most likely to be detected in this way. The radio emission often originates in compact components, most of which are likely to be supernova remnants (SNRs) occurring in regions of high star formation rate. The luminosities of these features range from approximately 10(18.5) to 10(21) W Hz-1 at 6 cm, which is significantly higher than SNRs in our own Galaxy as well as those in M82. In a number of sources we find evidence of a ring of a spiral-like pattern in the nuclear region at radio wavelengths. We discuss the possible origin of such structures, and attempt to identify those galaxies that are likely to have an active galactic nucleus (AGN).