2ND-ORDER QCD CORRECTIONS TO THE NONLEPTONIC DECAY OF THE B-QUARK IN THE SLOW CHARM LIMIT

The perturbative QCD corrections to the nonleptonic decay rate of the b quark are discussed. By considering the limit where the final charme d quarks are slow, it is argued that the coefficients of the alpha(s)( 2) terms, corresponding to the next-to-next-to-leading order in the st andard renormalization group expansion in In(m(W)/m(b)), are naturally large. The large coefficients arise from the final state gluon exchan ge between quarks and are associated with the region of rather low mom enta, which may further enhance the phenomenological significance of t hese terms.