ASTRO
In the literature: open
Why are tidal disruptions overrepresented in post-starburst galaxies?
In plain words
Tidal disruptions happen unusually often in galaxies that stopped forming stars after a recent burst. These galaxies are rare, so something about them must send stars toward the central black hole.
Precise statement
Post-starburst (E+A) galaxies form well under 1 percent of galaxies but host a much larger share of optical TDEs, an enhancement of tens of times. Determine the cause: dense central stellar concentrations, radially anisotropic orbits after a merger, supermassive black hole binaries, or selection effects.
What would settle it
Measured central stellar densities and orbit structure in TDE hosts compared with predicted disruption rates for each mechanism.