F-GAMMA: On the phenomenological classification of continuum radio
  spectra variability patterns of Fermi blazars
  The F-GAMMA program is a coordinated effort to investigate the physics of
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) via multi-frequency monitoring of Fermi blazars.
In the current study we show and discuss the evolution of broad-band radio
spectra, which are measured at ten frequencies between 2.64 and 142 GHz using
the Effelsberg 100-m and the IRAM 30-m telescopes. It is shown that any of the
78 sources studied can be classified in terms of their variability
characteristics in merely 5 types of variability. It is argued that these can
be attributed to only two classes of variability mechanisms. The first four
types are dominated by spectral evolution and can be described by a simple
two-component system composed of: (a) a steep quiescent spectral component from
a large scale jet and (b) a time evolving flare component following the
"Shock-in-Jet" evolutionary path. The fifth type is characterised by an
achromatic change of the broad band spectrum, which could be attributed to a
different mechanism, likely involving differential Doppler boosting caused by
geometrical effects. Here we present the classification, the assumed physical
scenario and the results of calculations that have been performed for the
spectral evolution of flares.
