  We present a Chandra observation of the cooling flow cluster Abell 262.
Spectral fits show that the intracluster medium (ICM) in A262 cools by a factor
of three from 2.7 keV to 0.9 keV at the cluster center. A mass deposition rate
of Mdot = 19 +6/-5 Msun/yr is measured. Complex structure is found in the very
inner regions of the cluster, including knots of emission and a clear deficit
of emission to the east of the cluster center. The bright X-ray structures are
located in the same regions as optical line emission, indicating that cooling
to low temperatures has occurred in these regions. The X-ray deficit is
spatially coincident with the eastern radio lobe associated with the active
galactic nucleus hosted by the central cD galaxy. The region surrounding the
X-ray hole is cool, and shows no evidence that it has been strongly shocked.
This joins the ranks of other cooling flow clusters with Chandra-detected
bubbles blown by central radio sources. This source is different than the other
well-known cases, in that the radio source is orders of magnitude less luminous
and has produced a much smaller bubble. Comparing the energy output of the
radio source with the luminosity of the cooling gas shows that energy
transferred to the ICM from the radio source is insufficient to offset the
cooling flow unless the radio source is currently experiencing a less powerful
than average outburst, and was more powerful in the past.
