We present the first results from an XMM-Newton observation of the FRI galaxy NGC 4261 , which harbors a supermassive black hole and a low-ionization nuclear emission-line region ( LINER ) .
Here we focus on the X-ray properties of the nucleus , using the EPIC pn data .
The 0.6–10 keV continuum in best fitted by a thermal component with kT \sim 0.7 keV , plus a power law with photon index \Gamma \sim 1.4 , absorbed by a column density N _ { H } \sim 4 \times 10 ^ { 22 } cm ^ { -2 } .
An unresolved Fe K emission line with EW \sim 280 eV is detected at \sim 7 keV .
We also detect , for the first time , short-term flux variability from the nucleus , on a timescale of 3–5 ks .
The short-term variations rule out an ADAF as the only production mechanism of the X-ray continuum .
Instead , we argue that the inner jet contributes to the emission in the X-ray band .

Subject Headings : galaxies : active ; galaxies : jets ; galaxies : elliptical and lenticular , cD ; X-rays : galaxies ; galaxies : individual ( NGC 4261 , 3C 270 )