Malin 1: interacting galaxy pair?
  Malin 1 is a unique, extraordinarily large low surface brightness galaxy. The
structure and the origins of the galaxy are poorly understood. The reason for
such a situation is an absence of detailed observational data, especially, of
high-resolution kinematics. In this Letter we study the stellar kinematics of
the inner part (r < 15 kpc) of Malin 1. We present spectroscopic arguments in
favour of a small galaxy - Malin 1B - being a companion probably interacting
with the main galaxy - Malin 1. This object is clearly seen in many published
images of Malin 1 but is not mentioned in any astronomical databases. Malin 1B
is located at the projected distance of 14 kpc from the Malin 1's nucleus and
has small - 65$\pm$16 km/s - relative velocity, which we determined for the
first time. We suggest that ongoing interaction with Malin 1B can explain main
morphological features of the Malin 1's central region - two-armed spiral
structure, a bar, and an external one-armed spiral pattern. We also
investigated the large scale environment of Malin 1 and postulate that the
galaxy SDSS J123708.91+142253.2 might be responsible for the formation of
extended low-surface brightness envelope by means of head-on collision with
Malin 1 (in the framework of collision scenario proposed by Mapelli et al.
2008). To test the collisional origins of Malin 1 global structure, more
observational data and new numerical models are needed.
