Morpho-kinematic of galaxies at cosmic noon

Abstract: Recent studies of local galaxies highlight the need for high-resolution photometry and kinematics to accurately characterize galactic structures. From this, limitations emerged in the standard two-phase evolutionary scenario, where galaxies first form dispersion-supported bulges followed by secular disk growth. IFS surveys, combining photometry and kinematics, demonstrated that morphology and dynamics correlate weakly, with bulges and disks forming a continuum in their kinematic properties. This scenario is further supported by JWST observations. From analyses based on visual morphology emerged that mature galaxies with distinct morphological features exist at earlier times than expected. This, however, needs to be confirmed with high-resolution stellar kinematics observations. We, therefore, propose to measure stellar kinematics at high spatial resolution for massive galaxies at cosmic noon to probe the build-up of central regions and to disentangle the true nature of structures inferred from visual morphology (e.g., disks and bulges with different degrees of rotation). This will enable studying how galaxy mass, kinematics, and star formation co-evolve, providing a complete census of galactic structures and their formation pathways. In this regard, the VESPER-SHARP instrument on the E-ELT is uniquely suited for this program, offering, within reasonable exposure times, rest-frame optical coverage at $z\sim2$, high spatial resolution, a suitable field of view, and multiplexing for simultaneous observations.