  Investigations of the polarization and relaxation of $^{209}$Rn by spin
exchange with laser optically pumped rubidium are reported. On the order of one
million atoms per shot were collected in coated and uncoated glass cells.
Gamma-ray anisotropies were measured as a signal of the alignment (second order
moment of the polarization) resulting from the combination of polarization and
quadrupole relaxation at the cell walls. The temperature dependence over the
range 130$^\circ$C to 220$^\circ$C shows the anisotropies increasing with
increasing temperature as the ratio of the spin exchange polarization rate to
the wall relaxation rate increases faster than the rubidium polarization
decreases. Polarization relaxation rates for coated and uncoated cells are
presented. In addition, improved limits on the multipole mixing ratios of some
of the main gamma-ray transitions have been extracted. These results are
promising for electric dipole moment measurements of octupole-deformed
$^{223}$Rn and other isotopes, provided sufficient quantities of the rare
isotopes can be produced.
