Atomic bomb explosion. Mushroom cloud produced by the detonation of XX-27 Charlie, a 14-kiloton atomic bomb, on 30 October 1951. This explosion was part of the Buster-Jangle series of atom bomb tests conducted at the Nevada Proving Grounds, USA, in October and November 1951. XX-27 Charlie was dropped from a B50 bomber onto the Yucca Flat. Atomic or nuclear bombs work by releasing the energy within the nucleus of atoms. Fission bombs contain enriched uranium or plutonium. When an atom absorbs a neutron, it splits into smaller atoms, releasing energy (in the form of heat and radiation) and more neutrons.