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We utilize high-resolution cosmological simulations to reveal thathigh-redshift galaxies tend to undergo a robust `wet compaction' event whennear a `golden' stellar mass of $\sim 10^{10} M_{\odot}$. This is a gaseousshrinkage to a compact star-forming phase, a `blue nugget' (BN), followed bycentral quenching of star formation to a compact passive stellar bulge, a `rednugget' (RN), and a buildup of an extended gaseous disc and ring. Such nuggetsare observed at cosmic noon and seed today's early-type galaxies. Thecompaction is triggered by a drastic loss of angular momentum due to, e.g., wetmergers, counter-rotating cold streams, or violent disc instability. The BNphase marks drastic transitions in the galaxy structural, compositional andkinematic properties. The transitions are from star-forming to quenchedinside-out, from diffuse to compact with an extended disc-ring and a stellarenvelope, from dark matter to baryon central dominance, from prolate to oblatestellar shape, from pressure to rotation support, from low to high metallicity,and from supernova to AGN feedback. The central black hole growth, firstsuppressed by supernova feedback when below the golden mass, is boosted by thecompaction, and the black hole keeps growing once the halo is massive enough tolock in the supernova ejecta.

Wet Compaction to a Blue Nugget: a Critical Phase in Galaxy Evolution