Formation and Evolution of Galaxy Disks ASP Conference Series, Vol. 396, Proceedings of the conference held 1-5 October, 2007 at the Centro Convegni Matteo Ricci, Rome, Italy. Edited by José G. Funes, S.J., and Enrico Maria Corsini. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2008., p.359
Starsbursts play a key role in the cosmic evolution of galaxies, and thus in the star formation (SF) history of the universe, the production of metals, and the feedback coupling galaxies with the cosmic web. Extreme SF conditions prevail early on during the formation of the first stars and galaxies, therefore, the starburst phenomenon constitutes a