arXiv subjects

S. Robbe-Dubois

Publications and source records attributed to S. Robbe-Dubois.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Improving constraints on the Yukawa correction at the Galactic Center with multiple stellar orbits

We investigate the presence of a Yukawa-like correction ($\propto \, αe^{- r/λ}$) to Newtonian gravity at the Galactic Center, using a multi-star fitting code, including the newly discovered star S$301$, to improve the constraints obtained using S$2$ orbit alone. We perform a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis using the astrometric and spectroscopic data of stars S$2$, S$55$, S$29$, S$38$ and S$301$ collected by GRAVITY, GRAVITY$^+$, NACO and SINFONI instruments, covering the period from $1992$ to $2025$. Compared to GRAVITY Collaboration 2025 (Paper I), in which only S$2$ was fitted, the tightest bound on the Yukawa coupling is again reached at $λ= 3\cdot10^{13}\,\rm m\ (\sim 200\,AU)$, where we find $|α| < 6 \cdot10^{-4}$, an improvement of roughly a factor five. The addition of S$301$ extends the constraint to short ranges that were inaccessible to S$2$, yielding $|α| < 0.004$ at $λ=10^{12}\,\rm m$ and $|α| < 0.006$ at $λ=5\cdot 10^{11}\,\rm m$, while S$29$, with its larger apoapsis, gives $|α| < 0.1$ at $λ\sim 2\cdot10^{15}\,\rm m$. The latter two represent the tightest limits at these scale lengths on a Yukawa correction obtained to date around a supermassive black hole.

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arXiv2026

The complex inner disk of the Herbig Ae star HD 100453 with VLTI/MATISSE

The inner regions of planet-forming disks hold invaluable insights for our understanding of planet formation. The disk around the Herbig star HD 100453 presents one such environment, with an inner disk that is significantly misaligned with respect to the outer disk. This paper expands the existing H-band (PIONIER) and K-band (GRAVITY) interferometric studies of the HD 100453 inner disk to the L-band with the MATISSE VLTI instrument. With snapshot data spanning approximately four years we aim for a more comprehensive understanding of the inner disk structures and their potential time evolution. Based on the MATISSE data obtained, we use a combination of analytical models and image reconstruction to constrain the disk structure. Additionally, we fit a temperature gradient model to the selected wavelength range of PIONIER, GRAVITY and MATISSE to derive physical properties of the inner regions. Our parametric model finds an inclination of $\sim 47.5^\circ$ and a position angle of $\sim 83.6^\circ$, which corroborates the case of strong inner-outer disk misalignment. From the symmetric temperature gradient we derive an inner disk radius around $\sim0.27$ au, with dust surface densities of $Σ_{\rm{subl}} \approx 10^{-3.2}$ g/cm$^2$ and vertical optical depth $τ_{\rm{z, subl}} \approx 0.1-0.06$. Same-night MATISSE and GRAVITY observations indicate the necessity for higher-order asymmetries to explain the interferometric signals, which is further supported by a MATISSE snapshot image reconstruction. The chromatic interferometric data reveal the likely need for higher-order asymmetries to explain the inner disk of HD~100453, suggesting a possible origin in dynamic interactions or disk instabilities. Coordinated multi-wavelength infrared interferometric observations with GRAVITY and MATISSE will be crucial to confirm these findings and uncover its underlying nature.

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arXiv2026

Discovery of a star sensitive to the spin of Sgr A*

Residing in the center of the Milky Way, Sgr A* is the closest massive black hole (MBH). Its vicinity has allowed measuring individual stellar orbits around it. The stars act as test particles and probe the gravitational potential around the $4.3 \times 10^6 M_\odot$ MBH. These observations have determined the central mass to sub-percent precision, and the mildly relativistic motions of stars have given access to the dominant relativistic corrections, the gravitational redshift, the transverse Doppler effect, and the prograde precession imposed by the Schwarzschild metric nature of the potential. These effects are of order $β^2 = (v/c)^2$ (for velocity $v$ and speed of light $c$). The Kerr metric for a rotating black hole leads to corrections of order $β^3$. Here, we report the discovery of a faint main-sequence star ($m_K = 19.3$), S301, on a 8.7-year orbit and with small enough a pericenter distance, such that the star's peak velocity reaches $25000\,$km/s. Within the measurement capabilities of current near-infrared interferometry and future spectroscopy on an extremely large telescope, S301's motion is directly sensitive to the spin of Sgr A*. The high eccentricity of S301 suggests that it is the captured component of a binary that was torn apart via the Hills mechanism.

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arXiv2026

The MATISSE view of the inner region of the RY Tau protoplanetary disk

The T-Tauri type young stellar object RY Tau exhibits a dust depleted inner cavity characteristic of a transition disk. We constrain the spatial distribution and mineralogy of dust in the RY Tau protoplanetary disk in the inner few astronomical units using spectrally resolved interferometric observations in the L, M, and N bands obtained with VLTI/MATISSE. Employing a 2D temperature gradient model we estimate the orientation of the inner disk finding no evidence of significant misalignment between the inner and outer disk of RY Tau. Successively, we analyze the chemical composition of silicates depending on spatial region in the disk and identify several silicate species commonly found in protoplanetary disks. Additionally, a depletion of amorphous dust grains toward the central protostar is observed. Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations show that hot dust close to the protostar and in the line of sight to the observer, either in the uppermost disk layers of a strongly flared disk or in a dusty envelope, is necessary to model the observations. The shadow cast by a dense innermost disk midplane on the dust further out explains the observed closure phases in the L band and to some extent in the M band. However, the closure phases in the N band are underestimated by our model, hinting at an additional asymmetry in the flux density distribution not visible at shorter wavelengths.

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arXiv2025

Spatially resolved broad line region in a quasar at z=4: Dynamical black hole mass and prominent outflow

We present the first near-infrared interferometric data of a QSO at z=4. The K-band observations were performed with GRAVITY+ on the VLTI using all four UTs, detecting a differential phase signal that traces the spatially resolved kinematics for both the \hb\ and \hg\ lines in the broad line region. We fit the two lines simultaneously with an updated model that includes distinct rotating and conical outflowing components. For the best fit model, more than 80\% of the \hi\ line emission from the BLR originates in an outflow with a velocity up to $10^4$ km s$^{-1}$. This is oriented so that our line of sight is along an edge of the conical structure, which produces the prominent blue wing on the line profile. A combination of anisotropic line emission and mid-plane opacity lead to the single-sided phase signal. The model is able to qualitatively match both the outflowing \civ\ line profile and the systemic \oi\ fluorescent emission. The derived black hole mass of $8\times10^8$ M$_\odot$ is the highest redshift black hole mass measurement to date obtained directly from BLR dynamics. It is an order of magnitude lower than that inferred from various single epoch scaling relations, and implies that the accretion is highly super-Eddington. With reference to recent simulations, the data suggest that this QSO is emitting close to its radiative limit in a regime where strong outflows are expected around a polar conical region.

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arXiv2025

The mid-infrared spectrum of $β$ Pictoris b. First VLTI/MATISSE interferometric observations of an exoplanet

Few spectra of directly-imaged exoplanets have been obtained in the mid-infrared (> 3 $μ$m). This region is particularly rich in molecular spectral signatures, whose measurements can help recover atmospheric parameters and provide a better understanding of giant planet formation and atmospheric dynamics. In the past years, exoplanet interferometry with the VLTI/GRAVITY instrument has provided medium-resolution spectra of a dozen substellar companions in the near infrared. The 100-meter interferometric baselines allow for the stellar and planetary signals to be efficiently disentangled at close angular separations (< 0.3''). We aim to extend this technique to the mid-infrared using MATISSE, the VLTI's mid-infrared spectro-interferometer. We take advantage of the fringe tracking and off-axis pointing capabilities recently brought by the GRA4MAT upgrade. Using this new mode, we observed the giant planet $β$ Pictoris b in L and M bands (2.75-5 $μ$m) at a spectral resolution of 500. We developed a method to correct chromatic dispersion and non-common paths effects in the fringe phase and modelled the planet astrometry and stellar contamination. We obtained a high-signal-to-noise spectrum of $β$ Pictoris b, showing the planet continuum in L (for the first time) and M bands, which contains broad absorption features of H$_2$O and CO. In conjunction with a new GRAVITY spectrum, we modelled it with the ForMoSA nested sampling tool and the Exo-REM grid of atmospheric models, and found a solar carbon-to-oxygen ratio in the planet atmosphere. This study opens the way to the characterization of fainter and closer-in planets with MATISSE, which could complement the JWST at angular separations too close for it to obtain exoplanet spectra. Starting in 2025, the new adaptive optics system brought by the GRAVITY+ upgrade will further extend the detection limits of MATISSE.

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arXiv2025

Multi-band infrared imaging reveals dusty spiral arcs around the binary B[e] star 3 Puppis

3 Puppis is the brightest known B[e] star. Recent work classifies this A-type object as a supergiant, yet the impact of its binarity on the circumstellar environment (CE) remains hard to characterize. To resolve its dusty region at 5-10 mas, we obtained mid-IR interferometric observations with VLTI/MATISSE over 3-12 μm. Because the (u,v) coverage supports imaging, we introduce a statistical interferometric-imaging workflow based on MiRA to generate averaged images: this systematic approach enables the selection of an optimal set of reconstructions, improving the robustness and fidelity of the recovered features. We also use SPARCO, an independent tool well suited to bright central objects embedded in fainter extended emission. Images from both tools in the L, M, and N bands agree and reveal an asymmetric, elongated feature ~17 mas (~10 au at 631 pc) southeast of the star with ~20% density contrast. A second northwest asymmetry and a skewed inner rim are detected. Simple geometric modelling, guided by the MATISSE images, constrains the morphology, location, and flux of the CE and its asymmetries. The images are consistent with earlier VLTI measurements but expose a more complex CE with large-scale clumps in the southeast and northwest parts of the disc. Hydrodynamic modelling indicates that tidal spiral-wake perturbations from the central binary, dynamically excited at Lindblad resonances in the circumbinary disc, best explain the radial extent and curvature of the elongated structures seen in all bands.

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arXiv2024

Circumstellar emission of Cepheids across the instability strip: Mid-infrared observations with VLTI/MATISSE

The circumstellar envelopes (CSE) of Cepheids are still not well characterized despite their potential impact on distance determination via both the period-luminosity relation and the parallax-of-pulsation method. This paper aims to investigate Galactic Cepheids across the instability strip in the mid-infrared with MATISSE/VLTI in order to constrain the geometry and physical nature (gas and/or dust) of their CSEs. We secured observations of eight Galactic Cepheids from short up to long period of pulsation, with MATISSE/VLTI in $L$, $M$ and $N$-bands. The SED analysis in the mid-IR confirms the absence of dust spectral signature for all the star sample. For each star in $L$, $M$ and $N$-band we observe closure phases which are consistent with centro-symmetric geometry for the different targets. Finally, the visibilities in $L$, $M$ and $N$ bands are in agreement with the expected star angular diameter, although the observations are compatible with the presence of compact CSEs within the uncertainties. We provide 2$\,σ$ upper limits on the CSE flux contribution based on model residuals for several CSE radius, which yield to exclude models simultaneously large and bright ($R_\mathrm{CSE}\approx10\,R_\star$ and $f_\mathrm{CSE}\approx10\%$) for all the stars of the sample. Last, the visibilities in the $N$-band rule out CSE models with significant amount of different type of dust. The MATISSE observations of eight Cepheids with different pulsation period (from 7 up to 38$\,$day) and evolution stage, provide for the first time a comprehensive picture of Cepheids from mid-IR interferometry. We present additional evidences that circumstellar dust emission is negligible or absent around Cepheids for a wide range of stellar parameters in the instability strip. Further interferometric observations in the visible and the near-infrared will be necessary to disentangle the star and the CSE.

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arXiv2024

GRAVITY+ Wavefront Sensors: High-Contrast, Laser Guide Star, Adaptive Optics systems for the VLTI

We present the Wavefront Sensor units of the Gravity Plus Adaptive Optics (GPAO) system, which will equip all 8m class telescopes of the VLTI and is an instrumental part of the GRAVITY+ project. It includes two modules for each Wavefront Sensor unit: a Natural Guide Star sensor with high-order 40x40 Shack-Hartmann and a Laser Guide Star 30x30 sensor. The state-of-the-art AO correction will considerably improve the performance for interferometry, in particular high-contrast observations for NGS observations and all-sky coverage with LGS, which will be implemented for the first time on VLTI instruments. In the following, we give an overview of the Wavefront Sensor units system after completion of their integration and characterization.

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arXiv2024

A dynamical measure of the black hole mass in a quasar 11 billion years ago

Tight relationships exist in the local universe between the central stellar properties of galaxies and the mass of their supermassive black hole. These suggest galaxies and black holes co-evolve, with the main regulation mechanism being energetic feedback from accretion onto the black hole during its quasar phase. A crucial question is how the relationship between black holes and galaxies evolves with time; a key epoch to probe this relationship is at the peaks of star formation and black hole growth 8-12 billion years ago (redshifts 1-3). Here we report a dynamical measurement of the mass of the black hole in a luminous quasar at a redshift of 2, with a look back time of 11 billion years, by spatially resolving the broad line region. We detect a 40 micro-arcsecond (0.31 pc) spatial offset between the red and blue photocenters of the H$α$ line that traces the velocity gradient of a rotating broad line region. The flux and differential phase spectra are well reproduced by a thick, moderately inclined disk of gas clouds within the sphere of influence of a central black hole with a mass of 3.2x10$^{8}$ solar masses. Molecular gas data reveal a dynamical mass for the host galaxy of 6x10$^{11}$ solar masses, which indicates an under-massive black hole accreting at a super-Eddington rate. This suggests a host galaxy that grew faster than the supermassive black hole, indicating a delay between galaxy and black hole formation for some systems.

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arXiv2024

Images of Betelgeuse with VLTI/MATISSE across the Great Dimming

From Nov. 2019 to May 2020, the red supergiant star Betelgeuse experienced an unprecedented drop of brightness in the visible domain called the great dimming event. Large atmospheric dust clouds and large photospheric convective features are suspected to be responsible for it. To better understand the dimming event, we used mid-infrared long-baseline spectro-interferometric measurements of Betelgeuse taken with the VLTI/MATISSE instrument before (Dec. 2018), during (Feb. 2020), and after (Dec. 2020) the GDE. We present data in the 3.98 to 4.15\,$μ$m range to cover SiO spectral features molecules as well as adjacent continuum. We have employed geometrical models, image reconstruction, as well as radiative transfer models to monitor the spatial distribution of SiO over the stellar surface. We find a strongly in-homogeneous spatial distribution of SiO that appears to be looking very different between our observing epochs, indicative of a vigorous activity in the stellar atmosphere. The contrast of our images is small in the pseudo-continuum for all epochs, implying that our MATISSE observations support both cold spot and dust cloud model.

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arXiv2023

The dusty circumstellar environment of Betelgeuse during the Great Dimming as seen by VLTI/MATISSE

The 'Great Dimming' of the prototypical red supergiant Betelgeuse, which occurred between December 2019 and April 2020, gives us unprecedented insight into the processes occurring on the stellar surface and in the inner wind of this type of star. In particular it may bring further understanding of their dust nucleation and mass loss processes. Here, we present and analyse VLTI/MATISSE observations in the N-band (8 - 13 $μ$m) taken near the brightness minimum in order to assess the status of the dusty circumstellar environment. We explore the compatibility of a dust clump obscuring the star with our mid-infrared interferometric observations using continuum 3D radiative transfer modelling, and probe the effect of adding multiple clumps close to the star on the observables. We also test the viability of a large cool spot on the stellar surface without dust present in the ambient medium. Using the visibility data, we derive a uniform disk diameter of 59.02 $\pm$ 0.64 mas in the spectral range 8 to 8.75 $μ$m. We find that both the dust clump and the cool spot models are compatible with the data. Further to this, we note that the extinction and emission of our localised dust clump in the line of sight of the star, directly compensate each other making the clump undetectable in the spectral energy distribution and visibilities. The lack of infrared brightening during the 'Great Dimming' therefore does not exclude extinction due to a dust clump as one of the possible mechanisms. The visibilities can be reproduced by a spherical wind with dust condensing at 13 stellar radii and a dust mass-loss rate of (2.1 - 4.9) $\times$ 10$^{-10}$ $\mathit{M}_{\odot} {\rm yr}^{-1}$, however, in order to reproduce the complexity of the observed closure phases, additional surface features or dust clumps would be needed.

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arXiv2022

Locating dust and molecules in the inner circumstellar environment of R~Sculptoris with MATISSE

AGB stars are one of the main sources of dust production in the Galaxy. However, it is not clear what this process looks like and where the dust is condensing in the circumstellar environment. By characterizing the location of the dust and the molecules in the close environment of an AGB star, we aim to achieve a better understanding the history of the dust formation process. We observed the carbon star R Scl with the VLTI-MATISSE instrument in L- and N-bands. The high angular resolution of the VLTI observations, combined with a large uv-plane coverage allowed us to use image reconstruction methods. To constrain the dust and molecules' location, we used two different methods: MIRA image reconstruction and the 1D code RHAPSODY. We found evidence of C2H2 and HCN molecules between 1 and 3.4 Rstar which is much closer to the star than the location of the dust (between 3.8 and 17.0 Rstar). We also estimated a mass-loss rate of 1.2+-0.4x10-6 Msun per yr. In the meantime, we confirmed the previously published characteristics of a thin dust shell, composed of amorphous carbon (amC) and silicon carbide (SiC). However, no clear SiC feature has been detected in the MATISSE visibilities. This might be caused by molecular absorption that can affect the shape of the SiC band at 11.3 micron. The appearance of the molecular shells is in good agreement with predictions from dynamical atmosphere models. For the first time, we co-located dust and molecules in the environment of an AGB star. We confirm that the molecules are located closer to the star than the dust. The MIRA images unveil the presence of a clumpy environment in the fuzzy emission region beyond 4.0 Rstar. Furthermore, with the available dynamic range and angular resolution, we did not detect the presence of a binary companion. Additional observations combining MATISSE and SAM-VISIR instrument should enable this detection in future studies.

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arXiv2022

First Light for GRAVITY Wide: Large Separation Fringe Tracking for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer

GRAVITY+ is the upgrade of GRAVITY and the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) with wide-separation fringe tracking, new adaptive optics, and laser guide stars on all four 8~m Unit Telescopes (UTs), for ever fainter, all-sky, high contrast, milliarcsecond interferometry. Here we present the design and first results of the first phase of GRAVITY+, called GRAVITY Wide. GRAVITY Wide combines the dual-beam capabilities of the VLTI and the GRAVITY instrument to increase the maximum separation between the science target and the reference star from 2 arcseconds with the 8 m UTs up to several 10 arcseconds, limited only by the Earth's turbulent atmosphere. This increases the sky-coverage of GRAVITY by two orders of magnitude, opening up milliarcsecond resolution observations of faint objects, and in particular the extragalactic sky. The first observations in 2019 - 2022 include first infrared interferometry of two redshift $z\sim2$ quasars, interferometric imaging on the binary system HD 105913A, and repeated observations of multiple star systems in the Orion Trapezium Cluster. We find the coherence loss between the science object and fringe-tracking reference star well described by the turbulence of the Earth's atmosphere. We confirm that the larger apertures of the UTs result in higher visibilities for a given separation due to larger overlap of the projected pupils on sky and give predictions for visibility loss as a function of separation to be used for future planning.

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arXiv2022

The disk of FU Orionis viewed with MATISSE/VLTI: first interferometric observations in $L$ and $M$ bands

The disk of FU Orionis is marginally resolved with MATISSE, suggesting that the region emitting in the thermal infrared is rather compact. An upper limit of $\sim1.3\pm0.1$ mas (in $L$) can be given for the diameter of the disk region probed in the $L$ band, corresponding to 0.5 au at the adopted Gaia EDR3 distance. This represents the hot, gaseous region of the accretion disk. The $N$-band data indicate that the dusty passive disk is silicate-rich. Only the innermost region of said dusty disk is found to emit strongly in the $N$ band, and it is resolved at an angular size of $\sim5$ mas, which translates to a diameter of about 2 au. The observations therefore place stringent constraints for the outer radius of the inner accretion disk. Dust radiative transfer simulations with RADMC-3D provide adequate fits to the spectral energy distribution from the optical to the submillimeter and to the interferometric observables when opting for an accretion rate $\dot{M}\sim 2\times 10^{-5}\, M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ and assuming $M_*=0.6\, M_\odot$. Most importantly, the hot inner accretion disk's outer radius can be fixed at 0.3 au. The outer radius of the dusty disk is placed at 100 au, based on constraints from scattered-light images in the literature. The dust mass contained in the disk is $2.4\times10^{-4}\, M_\odot$, and for a typical gas-to-dust ratio of 100, the total mass in the disk is approximately 0.02 $M_\odot$. We did not find any evidence for a nearby companion in the current interferometric data, and we tentatively explored the case of disk misalignment. For the latter, our modeling results suggest that the disk orientation is similar to that found in previous imaging studies by ALMA. Should there be an asymmetry in the very compact, inner accretion disk, this might be resolved at even smaller spatial scales ($\leq1$ mas).

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arXiv2022

MATISSE, the VLTI mid-infrared imaging spectro-interferometer

Context:Optical interferometry is at a key development stage. ESO's VLTI has established a stable, robust infrastructure for long-baseline interferometry for general astronomical observers. The present second-generation instruments offer a wide wavelength coverage and improved performance. Their sensitivity and measurement accuracy lead to data and images of high reliability. Aims:We have developed MATISSE, the Multi AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment, to access high resolution imaging in a wide spectral domain and explore topics such: stellar activity and mass loss; planet formation and evolution in the gas and dust disks around young stars; accretion processes around super massive black holes in AGN. Methods:The instrument is a spectro-interferometric imager covering three atmospheric bands (L,M,N) from 2.8 to 13.0 mu, combining four optical beams from the VLTI's telscopes. Its concept, related observing procedure, data reduction and calibration approach are the product of 30 years of instrumental research. The instrument utilizes a multi-axial beam combination that delivers spectrally dispersed fringes. The signal provides the following quantities at several spectral resolutions: photometric flux, coherent fluxes, visibilities, closure phases, wavelength differential visibilities and phases, and aperture-synthesis imaging. Results:We provide an overview of the physical principle of the instrument and its functionalities, the characteristics of the delivered signal, a description of the observing modes and of their performance limits. An ensemble of data and reconstructed images are illustrating the first acquired key observations. Conclusion:The instrument has been in operation at Cerro Paranal, ESO, Chile since 2018, and has been open for science use by the international community since April 2019. The first scientific results are being published now.

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arXiv2022

Improving the diameters of interferometric calibrators with MATISSE

A good knowledge of the angular diameters of stars used to calibrate the observables in stellar interferometry is fundamental. As the available precision for giant stars is worse than the required per cent level, we aim to improve the knowledge of many diameters using MATISSE (Multiple AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment) data in its different instrumental configurations. Using the squared visibility MATISSE observable, we compute the angular diameter value, which ensures the best-fitting curves, assuming an intensity distribution of a uniform disc. We take into account that the transfer function varies over the wavelength and is different from one instrumental configuration to another. The uncertainties on the diameters are estimated using the residual bootstrap method. Using the low spectral resolution mode in the L band, we observed a set of 35 potential calibrators selected in the Mid-infrared stellar Diameter and Flux Compilation Catalogue with diameters ranging from about 1 to 3 mas. We reach a precision on the diameter estimates in the range 0.6 per cent to 4.1 per cent. The study of the stability of the transfer function in visibility over two nights makes us confident in our results. In addition, we identify one star, 75 Vir initially present in the calibrator lists, for which our method does not converge, and prove to be a binary star. This leads us to the conclusion that our method is actually necessary to improve the quality of the astrophysical results obtained with MATISSE, and that it can be used as a useful tool for 'bad calibrator' detection.

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arXiv2021

The extended atmosphere and circumstellar environment of the cool evolved star VX Sagittarii as seen by MATISSE

Context. VX Sgr is a cool, evolved, and luminous red star whose stellar parameters are difficult to determine, which affects its classification. Aims. We aim to spatially resolve the photospheric extent as well as the circumstellar environment. Methods. We used interferometric observations obtained with the MATISSE instrument in the L (3 to 4 μm), M (4.5 to 5 μm), and N (8 to 13 μm) bands. We reconstructed monochromatic images using the MIRA software. We used 3D radiation-hydrodynamics (RHD) simulations carried out with CO5BOLD and a uniform disc model to estimate the apparent diameter and interpret the stellar surface structures. Moreover, we employed the radiative transfer codes Optim3D and Radmc3D to compute the spectral energy distribution for the L, M, and N bands, respectively. Results. MATISSE observations unveil, for the first time, the morphology of VX Sgr across the L, M, and N bands. The reconstructed images show a complex morphology with brighter areas whose characteristics depend on the wavelength probed. We measured the angular diameter as a function of the wavelength and showed that the photospheric extent in the L and M bands depends on the opacity through the atmosphere. In addition to this, we also concluded that the observed photospheric inhomogeneities can be interpreted as convection-related surface structures. The comparison in the N band yielded a qualitative agreement between the N band spectrum and simple dust radiative transfer simulations. However, it is not possible to firmly conclude on the interpretation of the current data because of the difficulty in constraing the model parameters using the limited accuracy of our absolute flux calibration. Conclusions. MATISSE observations and the derived reconstructed images unveil the appearance of the stellar surface and circumstellar environment across a very large spectral domain for the first time.

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