  The polytropic index of electrons in a magnetized plasma is experimentally
investigated in the presence of external heating and anisotropic work done on
the system by the magnetic field, incorporating the effective dimensionality in
an anisotropic plasma. The measurements clearly demonstrate localized regions
of superadiabatic electrons due to particle acceleration and energization
through non-resonant betatron and Fermi heating processes. In regions where
wave-induced heating through electron cyclotron resonance dominates, the plasma
electrons behave adiabatically. The realization of superadiabaticity is
universal where heating dominates the work done and has broader implications
for energy exchange processes in astrophysically-relevant plasmas.
