An investigation of the line of sight towards QSO PKS 0237-233
  We present a detailed analysis of absorption systems along the line of sight
towards QSO PKS 0237-233 using a high resolution spectrum of signal-to-noise
ratio (SNR) ~ 60-80 obtained with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle
Spectrograph mounted on the Very Large Telescope. This line of sight is known
to show a remarkable overdensity of CIV systems that has been interpreted as
revealing the presence of a supercluster of galaxies. A detailed analysis of
each of these absorption systems is presented. In particular, for the z_abs =
1.6359 (with two components of logN(HI) = 18.45, 19.05) and z_abs = 1.6720
(logN(H I) = 19.78) sub-Damped Ly-alpha systems (sub-DLAs), we measure accurate
abundances (resp. [O/H] = -1.63(0.07) and [Zn/H] = - 0.57(0.05) relative to
solar). While the depletion of refractory elements onto dust grains in both
sub-DLAs is not noteworthy, photoionization models show that ionization effects
are important in a part of the absorbing gas of the sub-DLA at z_abs = 1.6359
(HI is 95 percent ionized) and in part of the gas of the sub-DLA at z_abs =
1.6359. The CIV clustering properties along the line of sight is studied in
order to investigate the nature of the observed overdensity. We conclude that
despite the unusually high number of CIV systems detected along the line of
sight, there is no compelling evidence for the presence of a single unusual
overdensity and that the situation is consistent with chance coincidence.
