The formation of disks in massive spiral galaxies
  The flatness of the rotation curve inside spiral galaxies is interpreted as
the imprint of a halo of invisible matter. Using the deepest observations of
distant galaxies, we have investigated how large disks could have been formed.
Observations include spatially resolved kinematics, detailed morphologies and
photometry from UV to mid-IR. Six Giga-years ago, half of the present-day
spirals had anomalous kinematics and morphologies that considerably affect the
scatter of the Tully Fisher relation. All anomalous galaxies can be modelled
through gas-rich, major mergers that lead to a rebuilt of a new disk. The
spiral-rebuilding scenario is proposed as a new channel to form large disks in
present-day spirals and it accounts for all the observed evolutions since the
last 6 Giga-years. A large fraction of the star formation is linked to merging
events during their whole durations.
