Enabling Science with the Virtual ITM Observatory

While a Virtual Observatory can be thought of as a software system that provides uniform access to multiple data sets, it can also be considered a system that allows the user to create a virtual observing system dedicated to the individual's research interests. This latter approach is the goal of the Virtual ITM Observatory (VITMO) which has now reached operational status. The design of the Virtual ITM Observatory (VITMO) was developed out of a series of use cases for ITM science data analysis. To enhance the capability of the scientist in studying the ITM region and its response to energetic inputs as a system, the need was shown for an ability to approach problems using coordinated observations. This systems approach required the Virtual ITM Observatory to allow the user to locate data files that overlap in time and space, creating a virtual satellite to make coordinated observations of phenomena. VITMO provides tools to take the drudgery out of locating simultaneous overlapping datasets from multiple satellites and satellite-ground site conjunctions. Many of these tools are integrated into the search system allowing the user to find files automatically when certain geophysical conditions are present, a satellite observes a region at the same time a ground based radar system is operating, or other conditions are met. These and future enhanced capabilities such as selecting data sets for study based on model/data comparisons will be presented. Also included, will be examples of how these capabilities allow the scientist to perform "what-if" based searches of data for analysis and a discussion of the types of scientific analysis that may be feasible through the VITMO. VITMO can be found at http://vitmo.jhuapl.edu/.