Observing the high redshift Universe using the VIMOS‐IFU

We describe the advantages of using Integral Field Spectroscopy to observe deep fields of galaxies. The VIMOS Integral Field Unit is particularly suitable for this kind of study thanks to its large field-of-view (∼1 arcmin2). After a short description of the VIMOS-IFU data reduction, we detail the main scientific issues which can be addressed using observations of the Hubble Deep Field South with a combination of Integral Field Spectroscopy and broad band optical and near-Infrared imaging. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)