1994A&A...288..139J

uvbyβ CCD photometry is presented for stars brighter than V ≃20mag in a field close to the galactic plane, l^II=262deg, b^II=+4deg. E(b-y) is derived for stars as distant as ≃13 kpc. A lower envelope in the distance-E(b-y) diagram indicates that the minimum, total absorption along the line of sight through the disk in this galactic direction is A_V≃1.1mag . The mean absorption for stars more distant than 2 kpc, z > 140 pc, is found to A_V=1.8mag±0.4mag with a maximum of A_V≃2.5mag . The z-projected column density for the diffuse medium alone is derived to 0.146mag≲A_V≲0.350mag in this field outside the solar circle. The distance-E(b-y) mapping allows a detailed interpretation of the observed V-(b-y) diagram. Presence of a faint separate population of stars at a distance of ≃10kpc (z≃700pc) is indicated and these stars are well represented by an isochrone corresponding to [Fe/H]=-0.47 and Age=8Gyr. We find no evidence for a metallicity gradient for R₀<R<11.5kpc that can not be explained by a z-gradient.