Galactic Disk Formation and the Angular Momentum Problem

Galactic disk formation requires knowledge about the initial conditions under which disk galaxies form, the boundary conditions that affect their secular evolution and the micro-physical processes that drive the multi-phase interstellar medium and regulate their star formation history. Most of these ingredients are still poorly understood. Recent high-resolution observations of young high-redshift disk galaxies provide insight into early phases of galactic disk formation and evolution. Combined with low-redshift disk data these observations should eventually allow us to reconstruct the origin and evolution of late-type galaxies. I summarize some of the major problems that need to be addressed for a more consistent picture of galactic disk formation and evolution.