  We present calculations of spin-relaxation rates of alkali-metal atoms due to
the spin-axis interaction acting in binary collisions between the atoms. We
show that for the high-temperature conditions of interest here, the spin
relaxation rates calculated with classical-path trajectories are nearly the
same as those calculated with the distorted-wave Born approximation. We compare
these calculations to recent experiments that used magnetic decoupling to
isolate spin relaxation due to binary collisions from that due to the formation
of triplet van-der-Waals molecules. The values of the spin-axis coupling
coefficients deduced from measurements of binary collision rates are consistent
with those deduced from molecular decoupling experiments. All the experimental
data is consistent with a simple and physically plausible scaling law for the
spin-axis coupling coefficients.
