Flicker in computer-generated visual displays: Selecting a CRO phosphor and other problems

The visual system's response to flicker is approximated by 6–9 RC stages in series. The CRO phosphor can be represented by one additional RC stage. Therefore, increasing the refresh rate by a factor of k can be k5 to k8 times more effective in reducing apparent flicker than increasing the phosphor time constant. “Slow” phosphors impair the display of rapid movement and cause undesirable persistence of old picture contents after they have been altered. Behavioral scientists usually should choose fast, efficient phosphors. Display programs should be written so that spatially adjacent points of a display are intensified as close together in time as possible.