The C parameter distribution in e+e- annihilation

We study perturbative and non-perturbative aspects of the distribution of the C parameter in e+e- annihilation using renormalon techniques. We perform an exact calculation of the characteristic function, corresponding to the C parameter differential cross section for a single off-shell gluon. We then concentrate on the two-jet region, derive the Borel representation of the Sudakov exponent in the large-beta_0 limit and compare the result to that of the thrust T. Analysing the exponent, we distinguish two ingredients: the jet function, depending on Q^2C, summarizing the effects of collinear radiation, and a function describing soft emission at large angles, with momenta of order QC. The former is the same as for the thrust upon scaling C by 1/6, whereas the latter is different. We verify that the rescaled C distribution coincides with that of 1-T to next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy, as predicted by Catani and Webber, and demonstrate that this relation breaks down beyond this order owing to soft radiation at large angles. The pattern of power corrections is also similar to that of the thrust: corrections appear as odd powers of Lambda/(QC). Based on the size of the renormalon ambiguity, however, the shape function is different: subleading power corrections for the C distribution appear to be significantly smaller than those for the thrust.