Scientific requirements of the VAO SED tool

Abstract: This document describes the scientific requirements for the SED builder and analysis tool that will be designed and built by the US Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO). VAO is the VO effort based in the US, whose primary emphasis is to provide new scientific research capabilities to the astronomy community. The near-term goal of the VAO is to put useful and efficient tools in the hands of research astronomers as soon as possible. The VAO has identified eight major research initiatives that are of high priority, including the science obtained with the creation and analysis of the spectral energy distributions of astronomical sources. This document contains the high-level scientific requirements that will drive the design and implementation of the VAO SED tool.