The Dawes Review 1: Kinematic studies of star-forming galaxies across
  cosmic time
  The last seven years have seen an explosion in the number of Integral Field
galaxy surveys, obtaining resolved 2D spectroscopy, especially at
high-redshift. These have taken advantage of the mature capabilities of 8-10 m
class telescopes and the development of associated technology such as AO.
Surveys have leveraged both high spectroscopic resolution enabling internal
velocity measurements and high spatial resolution from AO techniques and sites
with excellent natural seeing. For the first time, we have been able to glimpse
the kinematic state of matter in young, assembling star-forming galaxies and
learn detailed astrophysical information about the physical processes and
compare their kinematic scaling relations with those in the local Universe.
Observers have measured disc galaxy rotation, merger signatures, and
turbulence-enhanced velocity dispersions of gas-rich discs. Theorists have
interpreted kinematic signatures of galaxies in a variety of ways (rotation,
merging, outflows, and feedback) and attempted to discuss evolution vs.
theoretical models and relate it to the evolution in galaxy morphology. A key
point that has emerged from this activity is that substantial fractions of
high-redshift galaxies have regular kinematic morphologies despite irregular
photometric morphologies and this is likely due to the presence of a large
number of highly gas-rich discs. There has not yet been a review of this
burgeoning topic. In this first Dawes review, I will discuss the extensive
kinematic surveys that have been done and the physical models that have arisen
for young galaxies at high-redshift.
