Spin-exchange rate coefficients for Rb-
3He are measured using three different methods. Two methods, using Rb repolarization and rate balance, require no assumption about the nature of the
3He wall relaxation and agree well; we find spin-exchange rate coefficients of $6.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}20}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}/\mathrm{s}$ and $6.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}20}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}/\mathrm{s}.$ These results agree with a recent repolarization measurement of Baranga and co-workers [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 2801 (1998)]. The third method uses the temperature dependence of the
3He relaxation and is 30% larger than the other two, implying a temperature-dependent wall or an unreasonably large value of the anisotropic spin-exchange interaction for $\mathrm{Rb}{\ensuremath{-}}^{3}\mathrm{He}.$ In the course of these measurements we developed and tested a new method for Rb density measurements under high power pumping conditions, and a new variant of Rb EPR polarimetry, both of which are described here.
The efficient coupling of an optical trap to a mass separator is being developed to undertake high-precision electroweak interaction measurements. The use of an ion implantation and subsequent heated foil release method is being pursued as a suitable way of introducing radioactive samples into the ultra high vacuum region of the optical trap without gas loading. The batchwise trapping and cooling of one million {sup 82}Rb atoms is envisioned with overall efficiencies of 1% or more. The cloud of cold radioactive atoms ({approximately}1 mm in diameter) will than be spin polarized and transferred to a second optical trap, repolarized, and loaded in a magnetic trap in which a beta-asymmetry measurement will be performed. The latest developments towards undertaking this experiment will be presented.