uvby-beta photometry of high-velocity and metal-poor stars XI. Ages of halo and old disk stars

New uvby-beta data are provided for 442 high-velocity and metal- poor stars; 90 of these stars have been observed previously by us, and 352 are new. When combined with our previous two photometric catalogues, the data base is now made up of 1533 high- velocity and metalpoor stars, all with uvby-beta photometry and complete kinematic data, such as proper motions and radial velocities taken from the literature. Hipparcos, plus a new photometric calibration for M-v also based on the Hipparcos parallaxes, provide distances for nearly all of these stars; our previous photometric calibrations give values for E(b-y) and [Fe/H]. The [Fe/H], V(rot) diagram allows us to separate these stars into di. erent Galactic stellar population groups, such as old- thin- disk, thick- disk, and halo. The X histogram, where X is our stellar- population discriminator combining V(rot) and [Fe/H], and contour plots for the [Fe/H], V(rot) diagram both indicate two probable components to the thick disk. These population groups and Galactic components are studied in the (b-y)(0), Mv diagram, compared to the isochrones of Bergbusch & VandenBerg ( 2001, ApJ, 556, 322), to derive stellar ages. The two thick- disk groups have the mean characteristics: ([Fe/H], V( rot), Age, sigma(W')) approximate to (-0.7 dex, 120 km s(-1), 12.5 Gyr, 62.0 km s(-1)), and approximate to(-0.4, 160, 10.0, 45.8). The seven most metal- poor halo groups, -2.31 <= [Fe/H] <= -1.31, show a mean age of 13.0 +/- 0.2 (mean error) Gyr, giving a mean di. erence from the WMAP results for the age of the Universe of 0.7 +/- 0.3 Gyr. These results for the ages and components of the thick disk and for the age of the Galactic halo field stars are discussed in terms of various models and ideas for the formation of galaxies and their stellar populations.