ChandraObservation of the Cooling Flow Cluster Abell 2052

We present an analysis of the Chandra X-ray observation of Abell 2052,including large scale properties of the cluster as well as the central regionwhich includes the bright radio source, 3C 317. We present temperature andabundance profiles using both projected and deprojected spectral analyses. Thecluster shows the cooling flow signatures of excess surface brightness above abeta- model at the cluster center, and a temperature decline into the center ofthe cluster. The heavy element abundances initially increase into the center,but decline within 30 arcsec. Temperature and abundance maps show that theX-ray bright shells surrounding the radio source are the coolest and leastabundant regions in the cluster. The mass-deposition rate in the cooling flowis 26 < Mdot < 42 Msun/yr. This rate is ~ a factor of three lower than therates found with previous X-ray observatories. Based on a stellar populationanalysis using imaging and spectra at wavelengths spanning the far UV to theNIR, we find a star formation rate of 0.6 Msun/yr within a 3 arcsec radius ofthe nucleus of the central cluster galaxy. Total and gas mass profiles for thecluster are also determined. We investigate additional sources of pressure inthe X-ray holes formed by the radio source, and limit the temperature of anyhot, diffuse, thermal component which provides the bulk of the pressure in theholes to kT > 20 keV. We calculate the magnetic field in the bright-shellregion and find B ~ 11 \muG. The current luminosity of the central AGN is L_X =7.9 x 10^41 erg/s, and its spectrum is well-fitted by a power-law model with noexcess absorption above the Galactic value. The energy output from severalradio outbursts, occurring episodically over the lifetime of the cluster, maybe sufficient to offset the cooling flow near the center. (Abridged)Comment: Astrophysical Journal, in press; 42 pages, including 12 figure