Continuous gravitational wave detection forecasting tools from pulsar timing array sensitivity

As pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) enter their detection era with compelling evidence for the stochastic gravitational wave background, our attention naturally turns to the exciting prospects of detecting continuous gravitational waves from individual supermassive binaries. We elaborate on a set of techniques to explore and forecast continuous gravitational wave detection by characterizing the sensitivity of the pulsar timing array. In creating a sensitivity curve for a pulsar timing array, we quantify the noise in the detector, which enables us to make statements about the strength of signals we can and cannot see. With simulations and existing detection statistics, we can quantify these statements with a detection probability, allowing us to forecast PTA's sensitivity to continuous gravitational wave sources.