B̄ → D((*))π^- beyond naive factorization in the heavy quark limit

Nonleptonic decays B̄ → Dπ^- or B̄ → D*π^- are dominated by factorizable contributions. In the heavy quark limit, nonfactorizable contribution arises from strong radiative correction and power corrections in 1/m(b). I calculate the decay rates for B̄ → D(*)π^- at next-to-leading order in strong interaction, including nonfactorizable corrections. The result is expressed in terms of a convolution of the hard scattering amplitude and the pion wave function. The decay amplitudes in this method are independent of the gauge, the renormalization scale, and the renormalization scheme. The effects of the nonfactorizable contribution are discussed and numerical estimates are presented. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.