QCD light-cone sum rule estimate of charming penguin contributions in B→ ππ

Employing the QCD light-cone sum rule approach we calculate the B→ππ hadronic matrix element of the current-current operator with c quarks in the penguin topology (“charming penguin”). The dominant contribution to the sum rule is due to the c-quark loop at short distances and is of O(α_s) with respect to the factorizable B→ππ amplitude. The effects of soft gluons are suppressed at least by O(α_sm_b^-2). Our result indicates that sizable nonperturbative effects generated by charming penguins at finite m_b are absent. The same is valid for the penguin contractions of the current-current operators with light quarks.