Absolute cross sections for the production of the two astronomy-relevant negative ions H−C≡C⁻ and H−C≡C−C≡C⁻ by dissociative electron attachment to acetylene C₂H₂ and diacetylene C₄H₂ were measured (with a ±25% error bar). Acetylene yielded the C₂H⁻ ion at an electron energy of 2.95 eV with a cross section of 3.6±0.9 pm² and also the C₂⁻ ion at 8.1 eV...