  Structural organization and correlations are studied in very large packings
of equally sized acrylic spheres, reconstructed in three-dimensions by means of
X-ray computed tomography. A novel technique, devised to analyze correlations
among more than two spheres, shows that the structural organization can be
conveniently studied in terms of a space-filling packing of irregular
tetrahedra. The study of the volume distribution of such tetrahedra reveals an
exponential decay in the region of large volumes; a behavior that is in very
good quantitative agreement with theoretical prediction. I argue that the
system's structure can be described as constituted of two phases: 1) an
`unconstrained' phase which freely shares the volume; 2) a `constrained' phase
which assumes configurations accordingly with the geometrical constraints
imposed by the condition of non-overlapping between spheres and mechanical
stability. The granular system exploits heterogeneity maximizing freedom and
entropy while constraining mechanical stability.
