Preprint typeset using LATEX style emulateapj v. 11/10/09 THE RADIO CONTINUUM STRUCTURE OF CENTAURUS A AT 1.4 GHZ

A 45 deg2 radio continuum imaging campaign of the nearest radio galaxy, Centaurus A, is reported. Using the Australia Telescope Compact Array and the Parkes 64 m radio telescope at 1.4 GHz, the spatial resolution of the resultant image is ∼600 pc ( ∼ 50′′), resolving the &500 kpc giant radio lobes with approximately five times better physical resolution compared to any previous image, and making this the most detailed radio continuum image of any radio galaxy to date. In this paper, we present these new data and discuss briefly some of the most interesting morphological features that we have discovered in the images. The two giant outer lobes are highly structured and considerably distinct. The southern part of the giant northern lobe naturally extends out from the nothern middle lobe with uniformly north-streaming emission. The well known northern loop is resolved into a series of semi regular shells with a spacing of approximately 25 kpc. The northern part of the giant northern lobe also contains identifiable filaments and partial ring structures. As seen in previous single dish images at lower angular resolution, the giant southern lobe is not physically connected to the core at radio wavelengths. Almost the entirety of the giant southern lobe is resolved into a largely chaoti