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.