We report the first detailed X-ray observations of the dumbbell radio
galaxy NGC 326. The region containing the source was imaged for 5.8 hr
in soft X-rays with the ROSAT PSPC as part of a program to measure th
e X-ray emission in low-power radio galaxies not known to be in rich c
lusters. Unlike other radio galaxies measured as part of this program,
NGC 326 is discovered to be embedded in bright asymmetrical X-ray-emi
tting cluster gas of temperature kT similar to 2 keV and 0.1-2.4 keV l
uminosity 3.5 x 10(36) W (H-0 = 50 km s(-1) Mpc(-1)). There is a peak
in the X-ray emission consistent with the location of the radio galaxy
core. Five of the 10 brightest galaxies in the region are the brighte
st optical objects in error circles of excess X-ray emission. In the s
ame observation, ROSAT also detected the unrelated, more distant, clus
ter Abell 115 and provided its first spectral measurement: kT = 7.2(-1
.9)(+9) keV. It has been suggested previously that galaxy kinematics a
re responsible for the apparent change in direction over time of the t
win jets of the large-scale radio emission of NGC 326. This was though
t to be due either to a misalignnent between the radio beam and galaxy
axes or to interaction between the two galaxies which form the dumbel
l nucleus of NGC 326 and which are known to be passing at about 16 kpc
projected separation. Our X-ray results support a different explanati
on: that buoyancy forces have bent the outer radio structure.