The RHIC Loss Monitor System (BLM) was successfully commissioned during the RHIC (Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider) Year 0 Run (summer of 1999). The system consists of 363 argon ionization detectors distributed around the ring. The signals are digitized in a distributed multiplexed ADC system and displayed at a 1 Hz rate in the control room. During the commissioning, the beam loss monitor system was extensively used for first turn beam steering. An impressive example of the capabilities of this system was the ability to locate a thin obstruction to within one magnet length, even through this obstruction transmitted most of the beam. With this information we were able to achieve circulating beam. This paper will discuss the RHIC beam loss monitor system design and testing. The data acquired during the RHIC commissioning run with also be presented.
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