CCD uvbyh beta photometry in clusters. II. The nearest globular cluster, NGC 6397

CCD photometry extending below the turnoff of the globular cluster NGC 6397 on the uvbyH beta system is presented and analyzed. Restricting the sample to stars with small photometric errors and highly probable cluster members hip, the reddening from approximately 1500 stars at the turnoff is E(b - y) = 0.127 +/- 0.002 (standard error of the mean), equivalent to E(B - V) = 0 .179 +/- 0.003. The photometric abundance for the same sample, on the revis ed spectroscopic scale for globular clusters, is [Fe/H] = -1.82 +/- 0.04 (s tandard error of the mean). From 220 cluster red giants, well-defined relat ions are established for m(1) and c(1) as a function of b-y. The reddening from the giants is systematically smaller than found for the turnoff stars, while the m(1)-based metallicity ranges from [Fe/H] = -2.4 for the bluest stars to greater than -1.7 for the reddest. In conjunction with previous re sults for omega Cen, M22, M55, and M13, it is concluded that the globular c luster red giants do not follow the same c(1), versus b-y and m(1), versus b-y relations as the field giants, even if the cluster sample is restricted to CN-weak giants. Comparison of the cluster turnoff stars with field dwar fs of comparable [Fe/H] in the c(1) versus b-y diagram implies that, within the uncertainties, there is no difference in age between the two samples. From a handful of field dwarfs with comparable [Fe/H] and accurate parallax es, the modulus of NGC 6397, (V - M-V)(0),, is calculated to be 12.15. Comp arison with isochrones of the appropriate [Fe/H] with [alpha /H] = +0.3 res ults in an age of 12.0 +/- 0.8 Gyr. The ultraviolet color-magnitude diagram of the cluster is examined and compared with earlier work.