Angular ordering and parton showers for non-global QCD observables

We study the mismatch between a full calculation of non-global single-logarithms in the large-N-c limit and an approximation based on free azimuthal averaging, and the consequent angular-ordered pattern of soft gluon radiation in QCD. We compare the results obtained in either case to those obtained from the parton showers in the Monte Carlo event generators HERWIG and PYTHIA, with the aim of assessing the accuracy of the parton showers with regard to such observables where angular ordering is merely an approximation even at leading-logarithmic accuracy and which are commonly employed for the tuning of event generators to data.