主要研究方向為理論與計算電漿物理，及其在聚變和空間電漿物理中的套用。通過解析理論和大規模數值模擬計算，系統考察磁約束聚變裝置和地球磁層電漿中的巨觀及介觀不穩定性，探索聚變和空間電漿物理中非線性和複雜性等諸多近代物理的基本普適問題，為建立磁約束聚變運行控制模型和空間天氣預測模型提供理論基礎，積極為國家的聚變能發展和空間開發計畫提供基礎科學服務。2002年起開始擔《Physics of Plasmas》和《Journal of Geophysical Research》特邀審稿人，以及美國國家科學基金和美國能源部特邀項目評審人。
出版著作
Submitted
S.-K. Cheng, P. Zhu, and D. Banerjee,Enhanced toroidal flow stabilization of edge localized modes with increased plasma density, submitted toPhys. Rev. Lett.(2017).
Published
D. Banerjee, P. Zhu, and R. Maingi,Stabilizing effects of resistivity towards ELM-free H-mode discharge in Lithium-conditioned NSTX,Nucl. Fusion57, 076005 (2017).
D. Banerjee, P. Zhu, and R. Maingi,Stabilizing effects of resistivity on low-n edge localized modes in NSTX,Phys. Plasmas24, 054501 (2017).
P. Zhu, A. Bhattacharjee, A. Sangari, Z.-C. Wang, and P. Bonofiglo,Three-dimensional geometry of magnetic reconnection induced by ballooning instability in a generalized Harris sheet,Phys. Plasmas24, 024503 (2017).
A. Hussain, Z.-L. Zhao, J.-L. Xie, P. Zhu, W.-D. Liu, A. Tiand EAST Team,Observations of compound sawteeth in ion cyclotron resonant heating plasma using ECE imaging on experimental advanced superconducting tokamak,Phys. Plasmas23, 042504(2016).
W.-L. Huang and P. Zhu,The locking and unlocking thresholds for tearing modes in a cylindrical tokamak,Phys. Plasmas23, 032505 (2016).
W.-L. Huang and P. Zhu,Mode locking and island suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations in Rutherford regime,Phys. Plasmas22, 032502 (2015).
P. Zhu, C.R. Sovinec, and C.C. Hegna,The formation of blobs from a pure interchange process,Phys. Plasmas22, 022311 (2015).
P. Zhu and J. Raeder,Ballooning instability-induced plasmoid formation in near-Earth plasma sheet,J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics119, 131-141 (2014).
P. Zhu and J. Raeder, Ballooning instability-induced plasmoid formation in near-Earth plasma sheet - J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics - 2014 - 119, 131-141
P. Zhu and J. Raeder, Plasmoid formation in current sheet with finite normal magnetic component - Phys. Rev. Lett. - 2013 - 110, 235005
P. Zhu, J. Raeder, C. C. Hegna, and C. R. Sovinec, Nature of axial tail instability and bubble-blob formation in near-Earth plasma sheet - J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics - 2013 - 118, 653-663 P. Zhu, C. C. Hegna, and C. R. Sovinec, Stabilizing effects of edge current density on pedestal instabilities - Phys. Plasmas - 2012 - 19, 032503
P. Zhu, C.C. Hegna, C.R. Sovinec, A. Bhattacharjee, and K. Germaschewski, Intermediate nonlinear regimes of line-tied g mode and ballooning instability - Nucl. Fusion - 2009 - 49, 095009 8)P. Zhu, C. C. Hegna, and C. R. Sovinec, Exponential growth of nonlinear ballooning instability - Phys. Rev. Lett. - 2009 - 102, 235003
P. Zhu, J. Raeder, K. Germaschewski, and C. C. Hegna, Initiation of ballooning instability in the near-Earth plasma sheet prior to the 23 March 2007 THEMIS substorm expansion onset - Ann. Geophys. - 2009 - 27, 1129-1138
P. Zhu and C. C. Hegna, Ballooning filament growth in the intermediate nonlinear regime - Phys. Plasmas - 2008 - 15, 092306
P. Zhu, D. D. Schnack, F. Ebrahimi, E. G. Zweibel, M. Suzuki, C. C. Hegna, and C. R. Sovinec, Absence of complete finite-Larmor-radius stabilization in extended MHD - Phys. Rev. Lett. - 2008 - 101, 085005
P. Zhu, C.R. Sovinec, C.C. Hegna, A. Bhattacharjee, and K. Germaschewski, Nonlinear ballooning instability in the near-Earth magnetotail: Growth, structure, and possible role in substorms - J. Geophys. Res. - 2007 - 112, A06222
P. Zhu, C.C. Hegna, C.R. Sovinec, A. Bhattacharjee, and K. Germaschewski, Intermediate nonlinear regime of a line-tied g mode - Phys. Plasmas - 2007 - 14, 055903
P. Zhu, C.C. Hegna, and C.R. Sovinec, Nonlinear growth of a line-tied g mode near marginal stability - Phys. Plasmas - 2006 - 13, 102307
P. Zhu, A. Bhattacharjee, and K. Germaschewski, Intermediate nonlinear evolution of the Parker instability: Formation of convection-induced discontinuities and absence of finite-time singularities - Phys. Rev. Lett. - 2006 - 96, 065001
P. Zhu, A. Bhattacharjee, and Z.W. Ma, Finite-ky ballooning instability in the near-Earth magnetotail - J. Geophys. Res. - 2004 - 109, A11211
P. Zhu, A. Bhattacharjee, and Z.W. Ma, Hall MHD ballooning instability in the magnetotail - Phys. Plasmas - 2003 - 10, 249
P. Zhu, G. Bateman, A.H. Kritz, and W. Horton, Predictive transport simulations of internal transport barriers using the Multi-Mode model - Phys. Plasmas - 2000 - 7, 2898
P. Zhu, W. Horton, and H. Sugama, The radial electric field in a tokamak with reversed magnetic shear - Phys. Plasmas - 1999 - 6, 2503 20)P. Zhu and S.T. Tsai, Effect of sheared flow on drift and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in a tandem mirror - Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion - 1996 - 38, 405
21)D. Banerjee, P. Zhu, and R. Maingi, Stabilizing effects of resistivity on low-n edge localized modes in NSTX - Phys. Plasmas - 2017 - 24, 054501
22)A. Hussain, Z.-L. Zhao, J.-L. Xie, P. Zhu, W.-D. Liu, A. Ti and EAST Team, Observations of compound sawteeth in ion cyclotron resonant heating plasma using ECE imaging on experimental advanced superconducting tokamak - Phys. Plasmas - 2016 - 23, 042504
23)W.-L. Huang and P. Zhu, Mode locking and island suppression by resonant magnetic perturbations in Rutherford regime - Phys. Plasmas - 2015 - 22, 032502
24)W.-L. Huang and P. Zhu, The locking and unlocking thresholds for tearing modes in a cylindrical tokamak - Phys. Plasmas - 2016 - 23, 032505
25)J. Raeder, P. Zhu, Y. Ge, and G. Siscoe, Auroral signatures of ballooning mode near substorm onset: Open Geospace General Circulation Model simulations - Geophys. Monogr. Ser. - 2012 - 197, 389-395
26)J. Raeder, P. Zhu, Y. Ge, and G. Siscoe, OpenGGCM simulation of a substorm: Axial tail instability and ballooning mode preceding substorm onset - J. Geophys. Res. - 2010 - 115, A00I16
27)B. J. Burke, S. E. Kruger, C. C. Hegna, P. Zhu, P. B. Snyder, C. R. Sovinec, and E. C. Howell, Edge localized linear ideal magnetohydrodynamic instability studies in an extended-magnetohydrodynamic code - Phys. Plasmas - 2010 - 17, 32103
28)K. Avinash, P. Zhu, V. Nosenko, and J. Goree, Nonlinear compressional waves in a two-dimensional Yukawa lattice - Phys. Rev. E - 2003 - 68, 046402
29)W. Horton, B. Hu, J. Q. Dong, and P. Zhu, Turbulent electron thermal transport in tokamaks - New J. Phys. - 2003 - 5, Art. No. 14
30)B. Hu, W. Horton, P. Zhu, and F. Porcelli, Density profile control with current ramping in a transport simulation of Ignitor - Phys. Plasmas - 2003 - 10, 1015
31)W. Horton, F. Porcelli, P. Zhu, A. Aydemir, Y. Kishimoto, and T. Tajima, Ignitor physics assessment and confinement projections - Nucl. Fusion - 2002 - 42, 169
32)G. T. Hoang, C. Bourdelle, X. Garbet, G. Giruzzi, T. Aniel, M. Ottaviani, W. Horton, P. Zhu, and R. V. Budny, Experimental determination of critical threshold in electron transport on Tore Supra - Phys. Rev. Lett. - 2001 - 87, 125001
33)G. M. Staebler, R. E. Waltz, J. E. Kinsey, G. Bateman, A. H. Kritz, T. Onjun, A. Pankin, P. Zhu, and W. Horton, Drift wave based modeling of poloidal spin-up precursor and stepwise expansion of transport barriers - Nucl. Fusion - 2001 - 41, 891
34)W. Horton and P. Zhu, Transport barrier dynamics - Phys. Plasmas - 2000 - 7, 4534
35)W. Horton, P. Zhu, G. T. Hoang, T. Aniel, M. Ottaviani, and X. Garbet, Electron transport in Tore Supra with fast wave electron heating - Phys. Plasmas - 2000 - 7, 1494
36)J. M. Kwon, W. Horton, P. Zhu, P. J. Morrison, H. B. Park, and D. I. Choi, Global drift wave map test particle simulations - Phys. Plasmas - 2000 - 7, 1169
M. Sun, P. Zhu, and S. Z. Yang, A model of plasma source ion implantation for inner surface modification - J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. - 1996 - 29, 274等。
