Spherically Symmetric Static Solutions of the Einstein Equations with Elastic Matter Source

The Einstein equations for a spherically symmetric static distribution of elastic matter are examined. The existence of regular solutions near the center is proven under a fairly mild hypothesis on the constitutive equation. These solutions are uniquely determined by the choice of central pressure and constitutive equation. It is also shown for a Hookean elastic material that these solutions can be integrated outward till the radial pressure vanishes, thus one can join an exterior Schwarzschild metric to obtain a maximal solution of the Einstein equations.