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| VVDS (VIMOS VLT Deep Survey) | |
|---|---|
| Name | VIMOS VLT Deep Survey |
| Acronym | VVDS |
| Telescope | Very Large Telescope |
| Instrument | VIMOS |
| Location | Cerro Paranal |
| Operator | European Southern Observatory |
| Startdate | 2002 |
| Enddate | 2010 |
| Wavelength | Optical |
| Area | ~16 deg^2 |
| Objects | ~350000 |
VVDS (VIMOS VLT Deep Survey) is a large spectroscopic survey conducted with VIMOS on the Very Large Telescope at Cerro Paranal operated by the European Southern Observatory. The project obtained deep optical spectra across multiple fields to measure redshifts and study galaxy evolution, large-scale structure, and cosmological parameters. VVDS produced extensive catalogues that complement imaging from facilities such as Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and Subaru Telescope and have been widely used by teams affiliated with institutions like Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris and European Southern Observatory.
VVDS aimed to map the redshift distribution of faint galaxies to probe structure formation and galaxy assembly, building on earlier efforts exemplified by 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The survey design combined deep pencil-beam fields and wider-area components to sample scales comparable to studies by DEEP2 Redshift Survey and COMBO-17, while connecting to imaging from COSMOS and spectroscopic follow-ups such as zCOSMOS. Principal investigators and collaborators included researchers from CEA Saclay, Observatoire de Paris, University of Oxford, and Max Planck Society.
VVDS comprised multiple tiers: the VVDS-Deep, VVDS-Wide, and VVDS-UltraDeep components, with target selection informed by photometry from CFHTLS and ancillary data from Spitzer Space Telescope and GALEX. Pointings were chosen in fields overlapping surveys like CFHT Legacy Survey and Chandra Deep Field South to enable cross-correlation with datasets from XMM-Newton and Hubble Space Telescope. Observing strategies adapted slit-mask designs comparable to those used in DEEP2 Redshift Survey and scheduling coordinated with observing programs at European Southern Observatory and partner institutions.
The survey used the multi-object spectrograph VIMOS on the Very Large Telescope Unit Telescopes, exploiting its high multiplexing capability akin to instruments such as DEIMOS and AAOmega. Data reduction pipelines were developed by collaborators at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and INAF to perform bias subtraction, flat-fielding, wavelength calibration with arc lamps, sky subtraction, and flux calibration referencing standards from ESO Standard Stars programs. Reduction software incorporated algorithms related to those used in GALFIT image analysis and statistical techniques employed in Le Phare photometric-redshift estimation.
Redshifts were measured with cross-correlation and emission-line fitting methods comparable to techniques in SDSS and 2dFGRS, with quality flags and confidence classes provided for each spectrum. Catalogues included spectroscopic redshifts, photometry, and derived quantities like stellar masses estimated with models from Bruzual & Charlot and star-formation rates calibrated against Kennicutt relations. The VVDS catalogues have been compared and combined with compilations from zCOSMOS, PRIMUS, and GAMA to enable joint analyses of luminosity functions and mass functions.
VVDS produced influential results on galaxy stellar-mass assembly, providing measurements of the evolving stellar mass function and quenching trends that complemented findings from COSMOS and GOODS. The survey quantified the evolution of the galaxy luminosity function, clustering dependence on stellar mass and color similar to results reported by DEEP2 Redshift Survey and SDSS. VVDS identified the prevalence of star-forming galaxies at z~1–2 and constrained merger rates consistent with models by groups at MPE and Institute for Astronomy, Cambridge. Cosmological analyses used VVDS clustering to measure the growth rate of structure and baryon acoustic oscillation signatures in concert with studies from BOSS and WiggleZ.
Public data releases provided spectra and catalogues through archives hosted by Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg and ESO Science Archive Facility, following precedents set by SDSS and 2MASS data policies. Data products included 1D and 2D spectra, redshift catalogues, photometric catalogues, and value-added products produced by teams at Observatoire de Paris and CEA Saclay. Researchers accessed VVDS data for cross-matched studies with surveys like Herschel Space Observatory programs and ground-based imaging from Subaru Telescope.
VVDS legacy lies in its deep spectroscopic sampling that bridged local surveys such as SDSS and high-redshift programs like VUDS, informing models developed by groups at Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge and Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics. The survey’s measurements of galaxy evolution, clustering, and environment effects influenced semianalytic models from Millennium Simulation teams and hydrodynamical simulations such as those by Illustris and EAGLE. VVDS datasets continue to underpin investigations in stellar mass assembly, dark matter halo occupation inspired by Halo Occupation Distribution formalisms, and cross-correlations with cosmic microwave background studies by Planck and WMAP.
Category:Astronomical surveys