QCD CORRECTIONS TO DIRECT B-]J/PSI DECAYS

We calculate next to leading order QCD corrections to the direct decays b --> J/psi + X and b --> eta(c) + X. The strong renormalization scale dependence is seen to persist also in this order and in fact the rate is driven to an unphysical negative value at the M(b) scale. We show that this is a consequence of the strong suppression and scale dependence in the leading order term. Large cancellations take place between terms from three different orders in alpha(s). Lacking a third order calculation we are forced to throw away the leading order term and all but one of the next to leading order terms. The remaining ccBAR gluon emission term could very well be the dominant one. Even if this is not the case, the picture of a rate at least as suppressed as in the leading logarithmic approximation survives.