We analyze rest-frame optical morphologies and gas-phase kinematics as traced by rest-frame far-UV and optical spectra for a sample of 204 star forming galaxies in the redshift range z \sim 2 - 3 drawn from the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey ( KBSS ) .
We find that spectroscopic properties and gas-phase kinematics are closely linked to morphology : compact galaxies with semi-major axis radii r \lesssim 2 kpc are substantially more likely than their larger counterparts to exhibit Ly \alpha in emission .
Although Ly \alpha emission strength varies widely within galaxies of a given morphological type , all but one of 19 galaxies with Ly \alpha equivalent width W _ { Ly \alpha } > 20 Å have compact and/or multiple-component morphologies with r \leq 2.5 kpc .
The velocity structure of absorption lines in the galactic continuum spectra also varies as a function of morphology .
Galaxies of all morphological types drive similarly strong outflows ( as traced by the blue wing of interstellar absorption line features ) , but the outflows of larger galaxies are less highly ionized and exhibit larger optical depth at the systemic redshift that may correspond to a decreasing efficiency of feedback in evacuating gas from the galaxy .
This v \sim 0 km s ^ { -1 } gas is responsible both for shifting the mean absorption line redshift and attenuating W _ { Ly \alpha } ( via a longer resonant scattering path ) in galaxies with larger rest-optical half light radii .
In contrast to galaxies at lower redshifts , there is no evidence for a correlation between outflow velocity and inclination , suggesting that outflows from these puffy and irregular systems may be poorly collimated .
Our observations are broadly consistent with theoretical models of inside-out growth of galaxies in the young universe , in which typical z \sim 2 - 3 star forming galaxies are predominantly unstable , dispersion-dominated , systems fueled by rapid gas accretion that later form extended rotationally-supported disks when stabilized by a sufficiently massive stellar component .