BurstarIf combat logging didn't render you invulnerable then you have 15 seconds to kill them and if the attacker can't within that timeframe then that's on them
This part I have to thoroughly disagree with. Time to kill (ttk) is an interesting matter. In Elite the ttk is relatively high. Even engineered PvP ships often can't kill their targets in 15 seconds or less. Just yesterday I had a wonderful experience verifying that. I was doing PP stuff in my unengineered Type-9 and was returning to my carrier, which in my infinite wisdom parked in the PP HQ (Zachary Hudson for Pacifiers). While incredible smart me was trying to prepare the carrier jump in supercruise (all in open) I got interdicted by a Mamba (frag build, most likely Pacifiers but I didn't check). I jumped out with 34% hull. So even if the target makes silly mistakes like going to a ganked system and just casually looking at a different screen in supercruise while in an easily killable ship, those 15 seconds alone at least certainly aren't enough. Either that or that guy really was a noob lol.
That aside. What I meant by punishment by rebuy screen was exactly what you were trying to suggest I believe. The fact that your ship remains in space and vulnerable is what gets you killed and gets you that rebuy screen. If it's a desync you are still there and in control. If it's a CL you die because your ship is still there getting shot at.