Level density parameters for the back-shifted fermi gas model in the mass range 40 < A < 250

The parameters a and Δ for the Fermi gas model with fictive ground state are determined for about 220 nuclei from experimental level densities at low excitation energy and at the neutron binding energy. In. agreement with previous results it is found that for most nuclei the fictive ground state is back-shifted relative to the conventionally shifted ground state as determined by the pairing energy. Shell effects are evident at the mass numbers 90, 140 and 208 for both the level density parameter a and the back-shift. A comparison is given with previous results and different experimental data on level densities.