We present a new model for the hadronisation of multi-parton systems, in which colour correlations beyond leading $N_C$ are allowed to influence the formation of confining potentials (strings). The multiplet structure of $SU(3)$ is combined with a mi
nimisation of the string potential energy, to decide between which partons strings should form, allowing also for baryonic configurations (e.g., two colours can combine coherently to form an anticolour). In $e^+e^-$collisions, modifications to the leading-colour picture are small, suppressed by both colour and kinematics factors. But in $pp$ collisions, multi-parton interactions increase the number of possible subleading connections, counteracting their naive $1/N_C^2$ suppression. Moreover, those that reduce the overall string lengths are kinematically favoured. The model, which we have implemented in the PYTHIA 8 generator, is capable of reaching agreement not only with the important $left<p_perpright>(n_mathrm{charged})$ distribution but also with measured rates (and ratios) of kaons and hyperons, in both $ee$ and $pp$ collisions. Nonetheless, the shape of their $p_perp$ spectra remains challenging to explain.
We make some educated guesses for the extrapolations of typical soft-inclusive (minimum-bias, pileup, underlying-event) observables to proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies in the range 13 - 100 TeV. The numbers should be interpreted with (at least) a 10% uncertainty.
The leading-order accurate description of top quark pair production, as usually employed in standard Monte Carlo event generators, gives no rise to the generation of a forward--backward asymmetry. Yet, non-negligible -- differential as well as inclus
ive -- asymmetries may be produced if coherent parton showering is used in the hadroproduction of top quark pairs. In this contribution we summarize the outcome of our study of this effect. We present a short comparison of different parton shower implementations and briefly comment on the phenomenology of the colour coherence effect at the Tevatron.
