We have shown that Lyman-α blobs (LABs) may still exist even at
z∼0.3, about 7 billion years later than most other LABs known (Schirmer et
al. 2016). Their luminous Lyα and [OIII] emitters at z∼0.3 offer
new insights into the ionization mechanism. This paper focuses on the two X-ray
brightest LABs at z∼0.3, SDSS J0113+0106 (J0113) and SDSS J1155−0147
(J1155), comparable in size and luminosity to `B1', one of the best-studied
LABs at z≳ 2. Our NuSTAR hard X-ray (3--30 keV) observations reveal
powerful active galactic nuclei (AGN) with L2−10keV​=(0.5--3)×1044 erg cm−2 s−1. J0113 also faded by a
factor of ∼5 between 2014 and 2016, emphasizing that variable AGN may
cause apparent ionization deficits in LABs. Joint spectral analyses including
Chandra data constrain column densities of NH​=5.1−3.3+3.1​×1023 cm−2 (J0113) and NH​=6.0−1.1+1.4​×1022 cm−2 (J1155). J0113 is likely buried in
a torus with a narrow ionization cone, but ionizing radiation is also leaking
in other directions as revealed by our Gemini/GMOS 3D spectroscopy. The latter
shows a bipolar outflow over 10 kpc, with a peculiar velocity profile that is
best explained by AGN flickering. X-ray analysis of J1155 reveals a weakly
absorbed AGN that may ionize over a wide solid angle, consistent with our 3D
spectra. Extinction corrected [OIII] log-luminosities are high, ∼43.6. The
velocity dispersions are low, ∼100--150 km s−1, even at the AGN
positions. We argue that this is a combination of high extinction hiding the
turbulent gas, and previous outflows that have cleared the escape paths for
their successors.Comment: 15 pages, 17 Figures, accepted for publication in Ap