  Several acquisitions of X-ray microtomography have been performed on a beads
packing while it compacts under vertical vibrations. An image analysis allows
to study the evolution of the packing structure during its progressive
densification. In particular, the volume distribution of the pores reveals a
large tail, compatible to an exponential law, which slowly reduces as the
system gets more compact. This is quite consistent, for large pores, with the
free volume theory. These results are also in very good agreement with those
obtained by a previous numerical model of granular compaction.
