doi.eso.org

• McLure, Ross [Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, United Kingdom]
• Pentericci, Laura [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monteporzio, Italy]

VANDELS is a new ESO spectroscopic Public Survey targeting the high-redshift Universe. Exploiting the red sensitivity of the refurbished VIMOS spectrograph, the survey is obtaining ultra-deep optical spectroscopy of around 2100 galaxies in the redshift interval 1.0 < z < 7.0, with 85% of its targets selected to be at z ≥ 3. The fundamental aim of the survey is to provide the high signal-to-noise spectra necessary to measure key physical properties such as stellar population ages, metallicities and outflow velocities from detailed absorption-line studies. By targeting two extragalactic survey fields with superb multiwavelength imaging data, VANDELS will produce a unique legacy dataset for exploring the physics underpinning high-redshift galaxy evolution.