The VIMOS VLT deep survey the K-band follow-up in the 0226-04 field

Aims. We present a new K(s)-band survey that represents a significant extension to the previous wide-field Ks-band imaging survey within the 0226-04 field of the VIMOS-VLT deep survey (VVDS). The new data add similar to 458 arcmin(2) to the previous imaging program, thus allowing us to cover a total contiguous area of similar to 600 arcmin(2) within this field. Methods. Sources were identified both directly on the final K-band mosaic image and on the corresponding, deep X(2) - g' r' i' image from the CFHT Legacy Survey in order to reduce contamination, while ensuring compilation of a truly K-selected catalogue down to the completeness limit of the K(s)-band. The newly determined K(s)-band magnitudes are used in combination with the ancillary multiwavelength data for determining accurate photometric redshifts. Results. The final catalogue totals similar to 52000 sources, out of which similar to 4400 have a spectroscopic redshift from the VVDS first epoch survey. The catalogue is 90% complete down to K(Vega) = 20.5 mag. We present K(s)-band galaxy counts and angular correlation function measurements down to this magnitude limit. Our results are in good agreement with previously published work. We show that using K magnitudes to determine photometric redshifts significantly lowers the incidence of catastrophic errors. The data presented in this paper are publicly available through the CENCOS database