We present the results of a program of K- and Ks-band imaging of a sample of
2Jy radio galaxies with redshifts 0.03 < z < 0.5, for which the host galaxy
morphologies and structural parameters (effective radius, Sersic index and
unresolved nuclear point source contribution) have been determined using
GALFIT. Two-thirds of our sample are best modelled as being hosted by massive
elliptical galaxies with Sersic indices of n=4-6, with the remainder being
better suited either by a mixture of morphological components (usually a bulge
plus a small, less luminous, disk component) or by more disky galaxy models
with n=1-2. Our measured galaxy sizes are generally in very good agreement with
other imaging programs, both space- and ground-based. We also determine a
slightly higher average nuclear point source contribution than similar
HST-based programs. This is due to our inability to separate the AGN emission
from compact circum-nuclear stellar emission, but does not bias our modelling
of the remainder of the host galaxies and our results remain robust. We also
observe that roughly half of the objects in our sample are either undergoing
major or minor merger activity or are clearly morphologically disturbed.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 31 pages, 9 figures, 6 tables.
Landscape table 4 added as extra included figur