The spatial clustering of radio sources in NVSS and FIRST;: implications for galaxy clustering evolution

We have measured the angular correlation function, w(theta), of radio sources in the 1.4 GHz NVSS and FIRST radio surveys. Below similar to6' the signal is dominated by the size distribution of classical double radio galaxies, an effect underestimated in some previous studies. We model the physical size distribution of FRII radio galaxies to account for this excess signal in w(.). The amplitude of the true cosmological clustering of radio sources is roughly constant at A similar or equal to 1 x 10(-3) for flux limits of 3-40 mJy, but has increased to A similar or equal to 7 x 10(-3) at 200 mJy. This can be explained if powerful ( FRII) radio galaxies probe significantly more massive structures compared to radio galaxies of average power at z similar to 1. This is consistent with powerful high-redshift radio galaxies generally having massive ( forming) elliptical hosts in rich (proto-)cluster environments. For FRIIs we derive a spatial (comoving) correlation length of r(0) = 14 +/- 3 h(-1) Mpc. This is remarkably close to that measured for extremely red objects (EROs) associated with a population of old elliptical galaxies at z similar to 1 by Daddi et al. (2001). Based on their similar clustering properties, we propose that EROs and powerful radio galaxies may be the same systems seen at different evolutionary stages. Their r(0) is similar to2x higher than that of QSOs at a similar redshift, and comparable to that of bright ellipticals locally. This suggests that r(0) ( comoving) of these galaxies has changed little from z similar to 1 to z = 0, in agreement with current DeltaCDM hierarchical merging models for the clustering evolution of massive early-type galaxies. Alternatively, the clustering of radio galaxies can be explained by the galaxy conservation model. This then implies that radio galaxies of average power are the progenitors of the local field population of early-types, while the most powerful radio galaxies will evolve into a present-day population with r(0) comparable to that of local rich clusters.