SPIN-ROTATION INTERACTION OF ALKALI-METAL-HE-ATOM PAIRS

A treatment of the spin-rotation coupling between alkali-metal atoms a nd He atoms is presented. Rotational distortions are accounted for in the wave function using a Coriolis interaction in the rotating frame. The expectation value of the spin-orbit interaction gives values of th e spin-rotation coupling that er;plain previous experimental results. For spin-exchange optical pumping, the results suggest that lighter al kali-metal atoms would be preferred spin-exchange partners, other fact ors being equal.