MASSIV: Mass Assemby Survey with SINFONI in VVDS. I. Survey description
  and global properties of the 0.9 < z < 1.8 galaxy sample
  Understanding how galaxies evolve and assemble their mass across cosmic time
is still a fundamental unsolved issue. To get insight into the various
processes of galaxy mass assembly, the Mass Assembly Survey with SINFONI in
VVDS (MASSIV) aims at probing the kinematical and chemical properties of a
significant and representative sample of high-redshift (0.9 < z < 1.8)
star-forming galaxies. This paper presents the selection function, the
observing strategy and the global properties of the MASSIV sample. This sample
contains 84 star-forming galaxies, selected from the VIMOS VLT Deep Survey
(VVDS) and observed with the SINFONI IFU at the VLT. We present the redshift
distribution, and derive the stellar masses and SED-based star formation rates
(SFR). Integrated metallicities and the presence of type-2 AGNs are
investigated using composite 1D spectra built from VIMOS and SINFONI
observations. The MASSIV selection function, based on star formation criteria
([OII] emission-line strength up to z~1.5 and colors/UV absorption lines at
higher redshifts), provides a good representation of "normal" star-forming
galaxies with SED-based SFRs between 5 and 400 Msun/yr in the stellar mass
regime 10^9 - 10^11 Msun. Analysis of typical emission-line ratios performed on
composite spectra reveals that the contamination by type-2 AGNs is very low and
that the integrated metallicity of the galaxies follows the well-known
mass-metallicity relation. The MASSIV sample has been built upon a simple
selection function, fully representative of the star-forming galaxy population
at 0.9 < z < 1.8 for SFR > 5 Msun/yr. Together with the size of the sample, the
spatially-resolved SINFONI data therefore enables us to discuss global, volume
averaged, galaxy kinematic and chemical properties all accross the mass and SFR
range of the survey to derive robust conclusions on galaxy mass assembly over
cosmological timescales.
