reduction of a $n$-dimensional grid of energy values via the minimization over $n-2$ deformations sometimes leads to an energy surface composed from disconnected patches, corresponding to multiple minima in the auxiliary (those minimized over) dimensions. This can distort the picture of the barrier (actually, a reduction of multi-dimensional data to a two-dimensional map is a general problem).

With these reservations in mind, one can still explore some of the details shown in the maps. In particular, the prolate g.s. minimum with strongly nonaxial first saddle point at $\beta_{20} =0.41$ and $\beta_{22} =0.18$ is visible in $^{252}$Lr. One can notice that the axially symmetric saddle lies more than 2 MeV higher.

![Energy surface, $E-E_{mac}(sphere)$, for $Z=103$ and $N=149$.[]{data-label="figb103_149"}](103_149.EPS){width="1.2\linewidth" height="3.2in"}

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A slightly less steep, prolate g.s. minimum and a gently emerging second minimum is visible in Fig \[figb105\_165\] for $^{270}$Db. The triaxial saddle at $\beta_{20} =0.52$ and $\beta_{22} =0.13$ has a smaller triaxiality $\gamma$ than the saddle in $^{252}$Lr. A decrease in barrier height due to triaxiality is $\approx$ 2 MeV, Fig. \[figb105\_165\].

![The same as in \[figb103\_149\] but for $Z=105$ and $N=165$.[]{data-label="figb105_165"}](105_165.EPS){width="1.2\linewidth" height="3.2in"}

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In a heavier nucleus $^{276}$Mt, a prolate deformation of the g.s. is clearly smaller than in 