PQCD STUDY OF THE B-SL AND N(C) CONTROVERSY IN INCLUSIVE B-DECAYS - ART. NO. 094019

We calculate the semileptonic branching fraction and charm yield from inclusive B decays using the formalism of perturbative QCD. For nonlep tonic decays, we employ the modified factorization theorem, in which W ilson coefficients evolve with the characteristic scales of the decay modes. It is found that the decay rate of the single-charm mode b --> <c(u)over bar>d is enhanced, and a lower B-SL is obtained without incr easing n(c). This conclusion differs from the usual one, where the b - -> <c(c)over bar>s mode is increased. Our result for the B meson lifet ime is also consistent with the data. [S0556-2821(98)02021-9]